


Just Skating By

by DrChickenSlinger



Series: Just Skating By [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: GaaLee, LeeGaa, M/M, finished fic, skater au, social worker AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-04-12 16:13:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 54,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19135570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrChickenSlinger/pseuds/DrChickenSlinger
Summary: Gaara is a social worker assigned to evaluate a skating program designed for at risk youth. Fortunately for him, the director of the program is kind, sweet, and... attractive.





	1. The Review

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I’ve been working on this for the past month and a half and I am so excited to finally start uploading it! It will update every Saturday as the fic is now completed :)  
> Please note that this fic does mention drug addiction, mild child neglect, and mental illness. I will have more specific content warnings for each chapter, but please note that they will be in there!  
> HUGE HUGE shoutout to ManaBanana here on ao3 for reading this entire thing for me as I wrote it!!! You are the absolute BEST, my friend and I am so so grateful for you!!  
> I hope you all enjoy this fic! I can’t wait to share it all with you! 💖

Gaara sat at his office, shuffling through his latest case file. The child he was supposed to evaluate was one that was living in a drug filled home. He had done his best to get the parents to sober up and be present in their child’s life, but it didn’t seem like it was going to happen. Even though as a social worker it was his job to remove kids from unsafe situations, he never enjoyed doing it. He knew that it sometimes lead to an unstable life, moving from foster home to foster home, especially if they were a disgruntled child like he was.

He sighed, closing the folder and opening a new document on his computer. He would need to submit a request to have the child pulled from the home, placing him into foster care, at least for the next few years. He would continue working with the parents, possibly see if they deserved a second chance. But, he refused to bring him back into an unstable home, no matter how hard the parents begged. He didn’t want to see that happen again, kids being ripped from a slightly better life in foster care back into the hell hole most of them called a “family.” No, he would do his best to ensure the parents were worthy of another chance. Not all parents were.

“Gaara, Temari wants you in her office,” one of his coworkers said, peeking her head into the doorway. Gaara sighed, leaning back in his chair.

“How soon, Matsuri?”

“Knowing Temari, five minutes ago,” she replied, flicking her hair back. Gaara smirked at that and closed the folder, pushing himself to stand.

“Thank you.”

Matsuri remained in the doorway, watching Gaara as he passed by her.

“Um, Gaara, I was wondering if you had any plans this evening?” she asked, chewing on her bottom lip. Gaara stifled a sigh, pausing with his back to her.

“I don’t know to be honest. I guess we’ll see what she wants.” Gaara looked over his shoulder at her. “Bye, Matsuri.”

Matsuri nodded, staring at the ground. Gaara was used to deflecting her advances, but she never seemed to get the hint. She also didn’t seem to realize that her job was to take care of the kids they worked with. Not flirt with him.

He walked into Temari’s office before quickly walking backwards out the door. He placed a light knock on the frame, then walked back in.

“Wow, you remembered this time, huh, squirt?” Temari asked, her eyes glued to the screen as she typed.

“Temari, we’re at work, you shouldn’t call me ‘squirt.’” 

“I’m your director I can call you whatever I damn well please,” Temari muttered, focused on whatever she was doing on her computer. She pressed the enter button, seemingly satisfied with what she had typed, and directed her attention back to Gaara.

“Working hard on something?” he asked, pulling out his notebook and clicking his pen as he sat in the chair in front of her desk.

“I’m always working hard. But actually, I was just messaging Shikamaru. He wanted to know if you and Kankuro wanted to have dinner with us next weekend,” Temari said, pulling out a sheet of paper and placing it on her desk.

“And what did you tell him?” Gaara eyed the paper, trying to figure out what new project Temari was about to shove onto him. Temari had the tendency to spring things on him without any warning. It gave Gaara something to do which was always nice, he being one to never leave the house unless it was for work. If it weren’t for all of the extra projects, Gaara would sit at home and do nothing more than watch shitty movies with Kankuro.

“That I would ask you two, what else would I have said?” Temari snorted.

“I don’t know, I figured you would want personal time with him since your anniversary is coming up.” Shikamaru and Temari had been dating for almost three years now, much to Gaara’s surprise. They often argued in public, but seemed to soften up when it was just the two of them or when they were with immediate family. Gaara liked Shikamaru well enough. He seemed to support his sister in her crazy job and Temari loved him. That’s all he could really expect of him.

Temari shook her head and sighed. “We’ll celebrate another day. Anyway, we can discuss this more later off the clock. I have a new project for you.”

Gaara rolled his eyes, scribbling the date down on his paper. “You’re never off the clock, Tem. Which means neither am I by default.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you agree, because I need you to do an off site assignment for me starting tonight and a few nights over the next few weeks.”

“Nights?” Gaara asked, his brow raised. He took the paper Temari was handing him and surveyed it briefly. He wasn’t used to being sent on night assignments unless it was an emergency, and now that he had gained seniority, those were usually passed off to newer workers like Matsuri. It made Gaara nervous, especially for kids he was working with personally, so he still often opted to go out. But for other cases, ones he wasn’t directly involved in, he was more than content with staying at home and enjoying an evening by himself, unwinding from the mentally and emotionally draining job he had.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing too crazy,” Temari said, taking a sip from the water bottle on her desk, “There’s a program we’re currently funding along with the Konoha branch. It’s fairly new and I’m not too keen on it. I want you to evaluate it, check to see if it’s even worth funding. I don’t want us to be wasting money if it’s not helping the kids.” Gaara nodded in agreement. Even though Temari had a tough and cold exterior, she loved the kids more than she would ever admit. Gaara trusted her opinion when it came to their well being.

“What kind of program is it?” Gaara asked, looking back through his paper.

“It’s a skateboarding program, ran by a Mr. Rock Lee. He gathers up at risk youth and teaches them how to skateboard.”

Gaara rolled his eyes. He had heard enough about the skating world from his older brother, Kankuro. Temari must have felt the same way, nodding at Gaara’s facial expression.

“Just, go check it out, okay? I want you to at least go to three or four sessions, evaluate the kids there, see if it’s helping them at all. I think a few of the ones you’ve worked with will be there. Just give your honest opinion, and please be careful about it. If we end up pulling our funding, there will be a few very upset kiddos to answer to.”

Gaara nodded, his lips set in a firm line. He always had the children’s best interest at heart, even if that meant cutting a program they enjoyed. Just because they liked it didn’t always mean that it was beneficial to their overall well being.

“I’ll do my best. I’ll stop by tonight, before I pick up Kankuro from work.”

“He still hasn’t gotten a car yet?” Temari asked, stifling a yawn as she stretched. Gaara made a mental note to tell Shikamaru to get her to work less. Perhaps a vacation was in order.

“He insists on roller blading everywhere still. Then on late nights, he begs me for a ride. But what can be done?”

“Knowing that dumb ass? Nothing.” 

Gaara scoffed, standing up from his desk. He raised his hand as he left Temari’s office.

“Let me know about dinner next weekend!” she called after him. He continued to walk to his office, smiling softly. As much of a pain in the ass his siblings were, he wouldn’t want things to be any different. They had a rocky childhood, one that separated each of the siblings through mental trauma and pain, Gaara getting the worst of it. Temari and Kankuro had distanced themselves from him for a while. It hurt in ways he wasn’t able to properly express. Once they had settled into a more permanent home, they each began therapy. Slowly they grew closer together, though there were often bumps along the way. Even so, they were now closer than Gaara could have ever hoped for.

After completing a few random pieces of paperwork and straightening out his desk, he slung his leather bag over his shoulder and prepared to leave for the day. A timid Matsuri poked her head in once again, her purse draped over her shoulder as she bounced on her toes. Just watching her gave Gaara anxiety.

“So, did you end up making plans then?”

“I have to go evaluate a program we’re funding, so kind of. Temari made them for me I guess. I’m very busy,” Gaara replied, ensuring he put an emphasis on the “busy” part.

Matsuri laughed awkwardly, standing in the doorway watching Gaara get ready to leave. He shut the light off, scooting next to her to close and lock his door.

“Well, good night.”

Matsuri nodded, turning and walking quickly in the other direction. Gaara breathed a sigh of relief and began walking slowly out of the building, punching the address of the skate park into his phone as he did so. It was only a fifteen minute drive from his office. He briefly considered getting food on his way there, but decided against it knowing that Kankuro would want to eat when he picked him up from work. It didn’t make sense to make two different stops for dinner.

As he turned his car on, a soothing instrumental song began to play with a strong beat in the background. He sighed in relief, another long day over. Well, almost over. He drove to the skate park, easily navigating the streets of his town, the beat of the music centering him as he went. Once he arrived there, he got out his notebook and slung his bag over his shoulder. Several people surrounded the skate park. For a program teaching kids how to ride, none of them seemed to actually be skateboarding. As he got closer, he noticed someone skating in and out of the bowls, even going so far as to grab the ledges, flipping his board out from under him and back down as he landed. The kids were extremely invested in the display, screaming and grabbing each other as he moved.

After a few more dips in and out of the ground, he flipped the skateboard over the ledge and onto the ground. He threw himself up onto it, standing on his hands on the board and slowly wobbling sideways. As he skated upside down, his shirt fell a bit revealing rock solid abs. 

Damn.

Gaara stepped forward slightly, trying to refocus himself on the task at hand by looking through the crowd of kids and foster parents to see if he recognized any in the crowd. One small girl, Raito, recognized him immediately, rushing to greet him with a big hug.

“Gaara!” she yelled, squeezing his legs. She had been placed in foster care the year previous, both of her parents having died in a car accident with no close relatives for her to live with. She had done well in foster care so far, only experiencing minor hiccups that seemed to ease as she did therapy and worked with her current foster parents. Luckily, they had stuck with her throughout her entire placement and were planning on adopting her soon. Gaara hadn’t told her that, worried that they would change their mind, but they were currently filling out the paperwork to keep her forever. Gaara saw them across the park, smiling at Raito. His heart swelled, knowing that they were doing all they could to provide a great home for her.

Gaara squeezed Raito back, bending down to get on her level. “Hello, Raito. How are you doing today?”

“I got a big scrape on my knee and I cried a lot, but then Lee gave me a bandaid with cactuses on it and a lollipop!” she said, her words blending together in excitement.

“The plural for cactus is cacti,” Gaara said, inspecting the bandaid on her knee.

“What’s a plural?” Raito asked, hopping on the leg she had injured, testing out the stability of her bandaid. Gaara laughed gently. 

“Don’t worry about it, Raito. Speaking of Rock Lee, do you know where he is? I’m supposed to meet with him.”

“I am right here!” a voice said from directly behind him. Gaara shot up and spun around, finding himself face to face with the skater from before. He extended a muscular arm out to him, smiling widely. At the end of his grin sat a deep dimple, accentuating his perfect teeth. He seemed like the kind of guy to smile a lot, meaning Gaara would probably be seeing that dimple a lot, not that he minded. Gaara stared at the extended arm and took it, shaking his hand as his eyes traveled up his bicep. He had a full sleeve of tattoos, the most noticeable one being a large, green dragon snaking its way back and around his arm. It extended down past his elbow, the tail ending in the middle of his forearm.

“Rock Lee, at your service, sir! What can I do for you?” Lee continued to pump Gaara’s hand until he pulled away. Lee seemed to be the type to never break a handshake first. Gaara didn’t like that type.

“Uh, yes, my name is Gaara, I work at the Suna branch for CPS. I’m a social worker. Our branch helps fund your program, I have been asked to come evaluate it to ensure that our funding is being put to good use.”

Lee’s large dark eyebrows slid up his forehead in surprise. “Oh, that is absolutely wonderful! We have been trying to get someone here for a while now, but the Konoha branch hasn’t been able to send someone. Please, feel free to walk around or ask any questions! I am an open book!”

Gaara was slightly taken aback by Lee’s reaction. Normally when he did evaluations, the program runners would act rude, like Gaara wanted to shut them down. Didn’t they realize that he just wanted what was best for the kids, just like they did?

Gaara nodded at Lee slightly. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but was interrupted by a tugging at his pant leg. He turned around to see Raito looking up at him intensely.

“Gaara, come say hi to my moms!” she said, out of breath in her excitement. Gaara nodded, allowing her to tug him by the hand. He threw a look back at Lee, who beamed at him before turning around to help one of the other kids put on his elbow pads.

“Hello, Gaara! Sorry she pulled you all the way over here, I know that you’re working,” Akiara, one of Raito’s moms said. 

“No trouble at all, I am happy to see all of you here.”

“What brings you by?” the slightly taller woman, Kimi, asked, picking Raito up and holding her on her hip.

“I’ve been asked to evaluate the program, see if everything is running smoothly and if it’s beneficial to the children. Do you mind if I ask the both of you a few questions?”

“Not at all!” they replied in unison. Akiara turned to her wife, poking her tongue out at her teasingly. Kimi nudged her with her hip and rolled her eyes then set her soon-to-be daughter down, slightly patting her back. She needed no further nudging, running off to find Lee, ready to get back on her board.

“How long has Raito been doing this program?” Gaara asked, clicking his pen and flipping the notebook open. “I know it’s been a while since we last met.”

“Hmm, I want to say it’s been about six months? Does that sound right?” Akiara said, turning to her wife.

“Yeah, between five to six months. Lee is great with the kids. He seems to be a kid at heart so they get along great!” Kimi said with a laugh. Gaara jotted a few notes down, including a reminder to find more information on Lee. Temari hadn’t given him much, unfortunately.

“Have you felt that she has improved since starting the program?”

“Oh, definitely. At first she had a hard time opening up. She was really scared and hesitant to get on the board or interact with the other kids. The first few times she clung to my legs. We were considering pulling her from the program entirely.” Kimi looked at her partner, concern flitting on her expression briefly. “But, Lee was able to pull her out of that within time, especially when he showed them all of his tricks. Now she wants to be exactly like him! He’s really good at promoting interaction between the kids. It’s great because he gives them a reliable adult to depend on, as well as the opportunity to interact with kids their age, especially those who are in similar situations as them.”

Akiara nodded, pulling her wife in by the hip. “It’s been a lot of fun for her. She’s come home with a few extra scrapes and bruises, but she’s made up for it by the emotional progress she has made.”

Gaara nodded as he continued to take notes.

“Sometimes a few bumps are worth it for the internal healing that follows. I’m glad to see things have worked out for the three of you.”

“Thank you for all of your help, Gaara. We don’t know where we would be without you!” Kimi said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Gaara blushed lightly. He never knew how to take praise for his work. He only wanted to help the kids, after all.

“I’m sure you would have managed just fine.” He smiled gently at her before stepping back slightly. “Please excuse me. I’m going to observe for a while.”

The women nodded and smiled at Gaara, then turned their attention back to Raito. She was managing to successfully roll down one of the smaller ramps, Lee loudly cheering her on in the background. Gaara found a bench to sit on at the edge of the park, close enough to observe, but not so close he would disturb the class.

He watched as Lee chased the kids around the skate park, fixing helmets when needed, and instructing a few kids on the proper stance. A lot of them did fine skating on their own, having been in the class for a while. He seemed to have endless energy, running from one end of the park to the other. Pushing a child up one hill, then running over to another who had tumbled. Gaara was surprised, and kind of impressed. Lee did this all by himself? 

Gaara took a break from watching, writing notes based on what he had seen. When he got to the office in the morning, he would write a more thorough report, detailing what he observed and aligning it with the goals of his branch and what the kids generally needed. He made a note to pull a few of the files for the kids he had worked with who were now in the program and to check where they had improved so he could present a few detailed examples for Temari. As he flipped his notebook closed, a shadow fell in front of him, blocking the light from the slowly setting sun.

He looked up to see none other than Rock Lee standing above him.

“Hello, Gaara! I came to check on you, maybe see if you had a few questions?” 

Gaara looked him up and down briefly. His hair was pushed back off his forehead by his snapback which had been turned around to reveal large, dark eyebrows. He wore all black, the only variation in tone being the white print on the front of his t-shirt, a large “YOUTH” written across his chest. 

“Oh, Vans!” he said, as Gaara felt a tapping against his foot.

“Sorry?” Gaara said, pulling his foot back.

“You’re a Vans person too, huh? Oh! Do you skate?” he asked, eyes lighting up as he looked at Gaara. Gaara looked down to see a pair of green high top Vans pointed directly at his own black ones.

“Oh… Yes, I tend to wear a lot of Vans. I don’t skate, though. My brother does on and off and introduced me to the brand. I like the way they look. Not too casual for around the office.” Gaara shrugged, gesturing to his outfit. He wore black jeans and a button down maroon shirt, a typical work outfit for him. They tended to dress fairly casually, worried that too formal attire would make the kids they worked with feel uncomfortable.

Lee glanced at his outfit, quickly pulling his eyes back to Gaara’s. “Ah, that makes sense! Well, since you’re dressed for the occasion, would you like to have a go?” He stomped his foot on the end of his board, popping it up and into his hand. The deck of the board was a deep, forest green with neon orange wheels. Gaara didn’t think they matched very well, but not a lot about Lee seemed to really match Gaara’s previous expectations.

“No, I am okay. Thank you though. I would prefer to continue evaluating.” Gaara crossed one leg over the other, pulling his notebook back into his lap as proof. Lee’s smile faltered slightly, but he stepped back, not wanting to bother Gaara any further.

“I suppose that is what you are here for. I appreciate that! I want to ensure that my program is the best it can be for these kids.” He turned to briefly watch them run around the skate park, abandoning their boards for a game of tag. “I’m sure that’s your goal as well.”

Before Gaara could respond, Lee ran off to join the game, letting some of the slower kids tag him when they couldn’t get anyone else. 

As the sun dipped below the horizon, kids began to filter out of the skate park. Lee picked up a few helmets as well as some garbage left over from snacks. Once everything was cleaned up, he walked back over to Gaara who was preparing to leave.

“So, before we depart, do you have any additional questions for me?”

Gaara cleared his throat, standing to match Lee’s position. He straightened his posture, attempting to seem authoritative even though Lee was a few inches taller than him. If it was working, Lee didn’t seem to notice, smiling down at Gaara as he had done the whole night.

“Just a few. What do you do for work? Do you just...skate all day?”

“Uh, well, I am actually a social worker as well! I work at the Konoha branch which is why we have not seen each other. I do this program in my free time. I have worked with some of the kids who come, but others are just at risk youth in the community, as well as children you have worked with. Like Raito!” he concluded, beaming at the mention of the small girl. “She is truly amazing. Her parents have told me a lot about you. They are very grateful for all you have done!”

Gaara stared into his notebook, concentrating on the words in front of him. “All part of the job,” he mumbled, scribbling away. 

“Maybe so, but you go above and beyond, just as I attempt to do.”

“Well, from what I have seen, you do a great job at that,” Gaara said, flipping his notebook closed. Lee stammered, a light blush forming on his face. “I apologize for not realizing you were a social worker, unfortunately I was not given much information on this program. But I do want to know, if you’re a social worker, why do you want to be evaluated so badly? I’m assuming you already know what the kids need?”

“Oh, that is quite alright! Most people don’t expect much when they meet me” Lee said, rubbing his neck as a sad expression crossed his face. “I do know what the children need and try to put things in place to provide that for them, but it is always good to get a second opinion!”

“I suppose so. I apologize for underestimating you. I will not be doing it again any time soon. Your program is impressive from what I have seen so far,” Gaara said, turning to leave.

“Wait, Gaara, will you be coming back?” Lee asked, an almost hopeful look on his face hiding under the blush that Gaara’s compliments had given him.

“I have to do three more evaluations of your program. So yes, I will be back, at least three times. I can’t say what days as they are supposed to be unexpected.”

“Of course,” Lee said nodding. As he opened his mouth to continue, Gaara’s stomach rumbled loudly.

“Oh, are you hungry? I could maybe take you to get something to eat?” Lee offered, pointing his arm in what Gaara assumed was the direction of his car.

“Oh, thank you for the offer, but I actually have to pick my brother up from work. We’re getting dinner on the way home. I will see you soon, Rock Lee.”

“Oh goodness, please, call me Lee!”

Gaara gave a quick nod before turning sharply and walking towards his car. He heard Lee call a goodbye after him, but opted to pretend he didn’t hear him. He was worried about getting too close to him, worried it might compromise his view of the program. But Gaara couldn’t help but think about how his muscles flexed when he was riding the skateboard on his hands.

Gaara shook his head as he sat down in his car. His career meant the world to him. He wouldn’t do anything to compromise that. Even with the reminder, he still found himself looking down at his Vans, a small smile forming on his face. 

He turned on the car and drove slowly to pick up Kankuro, enjoying the last moment of peace he would have for the evening. Tomorrow he would wake up, get to work, and do it all over again, now with a new project to look forward to.


	2. Skate Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara picks Kankuro up from work and attempts to find out more about Lee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW for drug abuse mention and mild child abuse mention. If you want more specifics, feel free to message me on tumblr under this same username :)  
> Please also note that a lot of this won't be incredibly accurate. I did my best to research typical social worker things, but there are still some things that won't be exactly in line. But, it's a fan fiction! So it doesn't really matter all that much, haha!  
> As always, big thanks to ManaBanana for reading this in advance! They are the light of my life. Please check out their ao3, you won't be disappointed!

Gaara made his way to Kankuro’s work slowly, savoring his last few moments of peace without his brother. He loved him a lot, but he was loud and kind of sloppy. It drove Gaara crazy, especially with his preference for things to be neat and tidy. Kankuro also always insisted on playing loud, whiny music at all hours of the night when Gaara preferred to be sleeping. He may have been the older brother, but it didn’t always feel like it. Temari and Gaara thought that Kankuro would follow a similar path as they did, working somewhere in child services, especially with how prevalent it had been in their lives.

When Gaara was twelve, they had been taken from their father. He had struggled with drugs for years, ever since his wife had died. Gaara had never known her, as she died while giving birth to him, but from what he heard from his siblings, she was a kind and gentle woman. They could never figure out why she would have married someone like their father, constantly yelling and threatening her life. Even though Gaara never knew her personally, his heart ached for her. No one should have to be treated that way by the person who was supposed to care for you more than anyone in the world.

The day they were taken was permanently branded into Gaara’s brain. For years after, Gaara would consistently have nightmares. The view of his father’s body slumped over their dining room table, a used needle laying next to his bloody arm. Temari had screamed, calling the cops thinking their father was dead. That had stirred him from his unconscious state, causing him to stand and begin yelling at his kids. Kankuro and Temari had ran to hide, but Gaara was stuck where he was in shock, staring at his dad.

When he couldn’t find the other kids, his eyes locked on Gaara. He grabbed him fiercely by the shoulders leaving finger shaped bruises along his arms.

“IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU BASTARD!” he yelled, his words slurring as he slipped in and out of consciousness. Gaara had begun to cry, trying to pull away from his dad as he held him tight. Before he could do anything else, the cops had kicked the door in, pulling him away from Gaara and scooping his small, twelve year old frame into their arms. He lashed out in panic, attempting to get Gaara back from them, but ended up clawing his face instead, leaving a scar that Temari thought was kind of shaped like a heart. But regardless of what it looked like, Gaara could never look in a mirror without thinking of that night.

Temari and Kankuro grew distant after that night, riddled with guilt for not helping Gaara get away. But after some time in their new foster home and a lot of therapy, they grew closer, healing almost completely from the pain of their younger years. Their new foster parent, Baki, was strict, but loving. After they were each old enough they moved away from their hometown together, but kept in contact with him, calling and visiting regularly.

The love and acceptance that Baki had shown them got Gaara and Temari heavily invested in foster care as well as child services, but Kankuro didn’t know what he wanted to do. He ended up jumping from job to job, never really liking where he ended up. Gaara was hoping that this one would last longer than the others. A consistent help with the rent would be nice.

The street lights lit the inside of Gaara’s car, his pale hands clutching the steering wheel as his thoughts continued to drift in and out of focus. They found their way back to Lee often. Gaara was worried. He wanted to make sure the program was effective and helpful for the kids. But, Lee was so kind. He didn’t want to shut down a program that he had created. It was causing an unfamiliar conflict in Gaara’s mind, he being so used to having the kids be the top priority in his job, as they should be. But what was it about Lee that caused him to feel so conflicted?

Gaara pulled into the parking lot of Kankuro’s work, a small, privately owned skate shop that had just recently opened. A few cars were still there, most of the customers having left as it was about to close. Gaara pulled into an empty parking space, yawning as he got out of the car and stretched. Normally he would wait outside until Kankuro was ready to leave, but he wanted to see if he could learn anything else about the skating world, without Kankuro’s help.

He walked into the brightly lit store, a chime sounding above him. The shop smelled like rubber and dust. Decks lined the walls, all different colors and designs. A black one with a maroon heart in the center, a neon orange and blue striped deck, and one that was decorated with a large white and purple fan on the bottom. He felt like Temari would like that one. That is, if she ever had the desire to skateboard, which Gaara found unlikely.

He walked the aisles of the store, passing by different wheel sets and other skating accessories. He soon found that the world of skating was much more varied than he had thought. Different sized boards were found at the other end of the shop, each with different names. A surfboard shaped one was labeled “longboard” and a miniature looking skateboard was labeled “penny board.” Gaara wasn’t sure why they needed so many choices. Wasn’t a regular skateboard enough?

He continued to peruse the store, weaving in and out of scooter displays and roller skate lined shelves. He briefly considered texting Kankuro to see where he was at, when he heard a loud, annoyed cough behind him. He spun around to see a tall man with long hair glaring at him, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Similar to Lee, he wore all black, a pale green beanie hanging precariously over long brown hair. Tacked to his shirt was a name tag that said “Neji.”

“The store is about to close, dude. What are you looking for?” he huffed, all customer service tendencies gone out the window.

“I’m here to pick up my brother, Kankuro,” Gaara replied, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Ugh, finally. That guy has been driving me nuts all day,” Neji said, tugging his hair slightly as he walked toward the front counter. “He should be in the back, he was supposed to be taking inventory.”

All of a sudden, Kankuro shot out from behind the counter. A helmet with cat ears on top was sitting skewed on his head as he roller bladed towards them.

“BLADES ARE FOR SKATIN’, YA DINGUS!” he bellowed, laughing maniacally as he zoomed past the cash register. His loud proclamation was interrupted by a huge crash. Gaara and Neji ran to where he now laid on the ground, a helmet display he had crashed into now scattered over top of him.

“Stayed up late watching Vine compilations again?” Gaara asked, scowling at him. Kankuro pushed a helmet off of his face and stared up at Gaara. But his glare didn’t even come close to matching Neji’s.

“Hey, dumb ass? Get up and fix this entire display before I fire you,” Neji yelled, his face turning red in anger. He tapped Kankuro with his foot before turning around and heading to the front counter. Gaara leaned against a nearby shelf, sighing at his brother. All he wanted to do was go home and finish his report. Now he had to help do damage control. Kankuro rolled over, pulling his skates off so he could stand properly. Gaara knew he balanced better when he was on wheels, rather than his feet, but was glad he wasn’t going to risk damaging displays any further.

“Kankuro, you need to be more careful. You just got this job,” Gaara began, watching Kankuro as he started placing the helmets on the shelf. “It’s a good job, too. It’s something you enjoy. Why would you want to risk that?”

Kankuro looked over at him, sticking his tongue out at his younger brother. Gaara rolled his eyes and began rubbing his temples, preparing for the headache he knew he would soon have.

“How was work?” Kankuro asked, after a few helmets had been picked up and he had decided to act like an adult.

“It was alright. Matsuri tried to ask me out on a date again.”

“Are you serious?” Kankuro asked, laughing slightly. “Does she not realize you’re-”

Gaara clapped a hand over his mouth, quickly looking to the front of the store where Neji was. He had leaned onto the counter, his phone in his hand and his chin in the other. Gaara breathed a sigh of relief and removed his hand, shooting a look at Kankuro. 

“Sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s fine, Kankuro. Anyway, Temari is having me work on a special project. There’s a guy running a skate program for at risk youth that our branch is funding along with Konoha. She’s worried that it won’t be beneficial, that we’re just wasting our money.”

Kankuro huffed at that. “Look, Gaara, I know you and Tem aren’t too keen on the whole skating thing, but that kind of program sounds awesome! Hell, if I had that when I was younger, I think it would have helped me progress even faster.” 

Gaara nodded at him, understanding how much skating had meant to Kankuro. “I understand the potential benefits of the program. The only thing that really worries me is the program director. He says that he’s a social worker too, but I have a hard time trusting other people with the kids, especially those that I’ve worked with.”

“Is the guy you’re talking about tall, obnoxious, has a bowl cut, tattoos, kind of annoying?” Neji asked, suddenly appearing behind them. Gaara jumped, turning to face him.

“Uh, yeah?”

“First of all, you’re not allowed to call him obnoxious or annoying. Lee is my friend, and he has a bigger heart than you could even comprehend. Second of all, he knows his shit. He grew up in a foster home, too, and has been working incredibly hard to become the best social worker he can. He did school all day then worked through the night. Asshole.” 

Neji stomped away, his phone clutched tightly in his hand. Gaara was confused. If he didn’t want him calling Lee annoying or obnoxious, why would he have mentioned it in the first place? He turned back to Kankuro who stared at Neji, his face covered in shock as well as… slight admiration? Kankuro looked up at Gaara, his expression still surprised as he shrugged at Gaara.

“Please hurry, Kankuro, I want to go home,” Gaara said, stepping away from Kankuro to walk towards the front counter. He wasn’t really a big fan of Neji from what he had seen so far, but if he knew more about Lee, he might be someone worth talking to.

He stepped to the front counter, poking at the various knick knacks they had. One of the keychains knocked off it’s peg, clattering onto the table below it causing Neji to stare up at Gaara with his eyes, his head still facing his phone.

“Is there something I can help you with?” he asked, throwing his phone to the counter with a clatter. Gaara jumped, startled at the slight hostility.

“I… just thought I’d make conversation.”

Neji sighed, leaning onto the counter. “Sorry, it’s been a long day and ‘dick-for-brains’ over there just delayed my chance to get out of here by another half an hour.”

“It’s fine. Kankuro tends to do that to people.” 

Neji snorted and folded his arms on the counter, resting his head. “You know, Lee really is a good guy.” 

Gaara tried to play it off like he had no intention to ask about Lee, even though he wouldn’t have walked over other wise. “Lee? Who’s Lee?

Neji rolled his eyes at Gaara. “You know who I’m talking about. The guy you were complaining about earlier.”

“I wasn’t complaining about him,” Gaara said, fiddling with a toy skateboard next to him. “I have a valid reason to be concerned. Regardless of how you feel about him, it’s my job to make sure he’s doing what’s best for the kids.”

“I get that. I really do. But, so does Lee. Like I said earlier, he grew up in foster homes. Pretty much all of his life, ever since his parents died when he was two. He knows what does and doesn’t work. He probably has more hands on experience than you do.”

Gaara tensed at the suggestion. He had it hard growing up too, but he wasn’t about to pour his soul out to a random stranger. He swallowed the first few things he wanted to say and opted to talk more about Lee.

“So, then, how did you meet Lee? Growing up a foster child means you don’t really have time to settle down or make roots much, so I’m assuming you weren’t childhood friends.”

Neji snorted, grabbing a nearby catalog and casually flipping through. “Nope. I worked at another skate shop before owning this one. He came in one day sobbing because a girl had broken his heart.” Gaara’s chest sank at the mention of a girl, though he didn’t want to acknowledge why.

“He was going to ask if we had any grip tape, but he was crying too hard to get the question out.” Neji took out a pen, writing something down on a nearby sticky note as his eyes scanned the catalog. Gaara would ask Kankuro what grip tape was later.

“I ended up taking him to the backroom to calm him down. Not very willingly, to be honest. He kind of repulsed me at first. Emotions. But he turned out to be very kind and hard working. And super persistent. Annoyingly so. He came in constantly, bringing me coffee I didn’t ask for or a beanie I didn’t want.”

“If he was so annoying, why do you defend him so much?” Gaara asked, glancing briefly back at Kankuro to see he was almost done setting the helmets back on their display.

“I don’t really think my relationships are any of your business,” Neji said, flipping the book shut. “Just know that I care about him a lot and that anyone who tries to cross him won’t get away with it. But don’t tell him I said any of that.”

Neji pulled his beanie off, running his fingers through his hair and pulling it up into a messy bun. He tucked the beanie into his back pocket before turning to grab a denim jacket that was hanging around a chair behind him.

“But anyway, after the whole “back room” incident, the owner found out a few weeks later and fired me. So, I got a job at my family’s accounting firm. When I saved up enough, I bought this place. Lee was supportive the whole time. He even got his foster sister to do a photoshoot here. She’s a famous skateboarder.”

Neji gestured up to a giant banner on the wall where the decks were. A girl in a baggy shirt and ripped jeans was doing a grind against one of the railings they had outside. Her hair was piled on two buns at the top of her head. But, what stood out to Gaara, was the shirt she wore. It was exactly like Lee had been wearing earlier, a black shirt with a large “YOUTH” logo on the front. Gaara wanted to ask about it, but didn’t want to seem too invested, knowing that paying special attention to something as simple as a logo on a t-shirt might raise some red flags in Neji’s mind.

“So, now all three of us hang out when we can. We do our best to stay in touch,” Neji said, a light smile on his face as he stared at the picture of the girl. His scowl returned seconds after as he turned back to where Kankuro was bent over, his butt facing the two at the counter.

“Kankuro, are you almost done?” he called, his voice slightly whiny. He shot up and turned around quickly, his helmet and skates in hand.

“Yup, just finished boss!”

“Great. Get out.”

Neji unceremoniously flicked the lights off, shrouding them in darkness. The lamps from outside shone in dimly, illuminating the white, scuffed tiled floors. Gaara and Kankuro walked out of the building, Neji hanging back slightly to lock the store.

“You better not be late tomorrow, Kankuro,” he said, buckling his helmet under his chin and placing his skateboard on the ground.

“Yeah, yeah no worries. Hey, do you want a ride home? My brother doesn’t mind,” Kankuro said, hitching a thumb behind him.

“...Don’t be late tomorrow, Kankuro.” Neji pushed off the ground, his board quickly picking up speed as he went along the sidewalk. Kankuro turned to Gaara grinning, but his face quickly fell when he saw Gaara’s.

“What did I do now, little brother?” he whined. Gaara sighed tiredly, turning and walking to his car. He got in wordlessly, waiting for Kankuro to put his stuff in the trunk and then plop into the front seat. They drove away in silence, Kankuro twiddling his thumbs as he stared out the window.

“Kankuro, please don’t get fired,” Gaara said, the exhaustion showing in his voice. “I know that you have a hard time, but it’s so stressful to take care of everything myself.”

Kankuro sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know, Gaara, I’m sorry. I’ve just felt so lost lately. You and Temari seem to have found your calling, and I’m just…”

“Just what?”

“Just nothing, I guess.” 

Gaara turned his head to look at Kankuro, his focus moving between the road in front of him and his brother next to him. “You’re not nothing, Kankuro. You’re doing an amazing job, even with all of your struggles. I know you’ll find something soon. You just have to hang on a bit longer.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kankuro mumbled, resting his head on his fist as he continued to stare out the window. “Besides, I doubt I’ll get fired this time.”

“Oh? And why is that?” Gaara asked, sensing that Kankuro was asking for a topic change.

“Because my boss is TOTALLY into me!” he yelled, his voice echoing off the interior of Gaara’s car. Gaara rolled his eyes, resting his forehead on the steering wheel now that they were at a red light.

“Kankuro…”

 

“No, he totally is. He keeps checking out my ass when I bend over,” Kankuro said, waggling his eyebrows at Gaara.

Gaara sat up, begging for the light to turn green. The sooner he got home, the sooner he could hide in his room, alone. Kankuro laughed, shifting in his seat until he was facing Gaara.

“Why are you staring at me?” Gaara asked, side eyeing his brother.

“I dunno. Just felt like it I guess.”

“...Okay. Well, make yourself useful then. Do you know anything about Neji’s friend?”

“Who, Tenten or Lee?”

“Either, I guess,” Gaara answered, his grip tightening slightly on the wheel. 

“Well, I know about as much as you do when it comes to Lee. He and Tenten are inseparable. He has some sick tats. One hell of a skater from what I’ve seen. Tenten is a professional skateboarder, pretty popular in the skating community actually. She’s won a lot of awards at competitions. She’ll go to the shop with Lee every once in a while. If she hangs there for a while, word starts to spread. It helps drum up more business for Neji. They all seem to be super supportive of each other like that. Kind of like you, me, and Tem.”

Gaara nodded, not knowing what else to say. After a few more minutes of driving in silence, they arrived at their apartment complex. Kankuro grabbed his skates out of the trunk, slamming it as he walked away. Gaara stood in the parking lot watching him walk, taking a deep breath to try and relax slightly. After getting inside, he ate a quick dinner of instant ramen and went into his room. Normally, he would have stopped for dinner with Kankuro, but he was too tired to deal with him much longer, which Kankuro could tell. He let Gaara slink into his room before scurrying back out to the kitchen to find something to eat. As Kankuro passed him, Gaara thought back to Lee’s offer to buy him dinner. He smiled briefly, but quickly brushed it away.

Pulling his notes from the day out of his bag, he wrote down a few small things that Neji had said into his report on the skate boarding program. He also took the time to review the case that he was working on. He knew the child he was looking after would have to sleep a few more nights in the house they currently were, scared and alone. But, Gaara would change that soon. He didn’t want anymore kids to end up traumatized like he was. Unfortunately, sometimes they weren’t able to catch it before it happened. But, he would do his best to ensure that he helped as many kids as he could.

Seemingly, Lee felt the same way. Gaara thought briefly back to Raito, how bubbly she was and how fond of Lee she seemed to be. He remembered her when they had first met. She was very wary of adults, constantly looking for the parents she no longer had. But she had warmed up to Lee very well, even better than she had warmed up to Gaara at first. 

He rubbed at his tired eyes, his hands brushing up through his hair. He had a hard time putting the care of one of the kids he worked with in the hands of another. But, if Raito had taken to Lee, he was sure others would as well. He had to admit that Lee had an infectious positivity around him, like you couldn’t help but smile when he was around. Gaara didn’t understand it, and didn’t even know how he felt about it yet, but decided he could worry about it more the next day. He crawled into bed, thoughts of the child sleeping scared and alone threading their way through his mind. He clutched a pillow between his arms, thinking of the time when he was that child. He wouldn’t let it happen to anyone else, not if he could help it.


	3. Overalls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara is still worried about the skating program. He does some additional research, and visits for the second night in a row.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you so much for all of your support so far, and as usual, an extra thank you to ManaBanana here on ao3 for reading this before hand! Please check out her fics for lots and lots of GaaLee goodness. No CW this chapter :) Have a wonderful weekend!
> 
> Edit: GUYS!!!!! Look at this absolutely amazing skater Lee art that KonanBases2 did!!! They are so talented and he looks absolutely fantastic!! Thank you so much!!!!  
> https://www.deviantart.com/konanbases2/art/Skater-Lee-802865607

Gaara awoke the next morning, his dark circles more firmly set than they normally were. He had tossed and turned throughout the night, the dreams of his father returning briefly. They always seemed to do so when Gaara was emotionally worn or when he was working on a particularly tough case. He rubbed his tired eyes before pulling the covers off, the cool morning air setting into his clothes as he stood to start another day. 

After making a pot of coffee and pouring a cup for Kankuro and himself, adding just the right amount of cream and sugar to his brother’s mug, he stood out on the deck of their apartment checking to see how warm it was outside. He stood for a moment, surveying the complex as he sipped on his drink. The sun began to rise and the air smelled like freshly cut grass and earth being warmed by the sun. 

Deciding that it was going to be a warm day, Gaara set his mug down on the banister and walked back inside. He grabbed a potted cactus that was sitting on their counter, spraying it lightly with water before taking it back out. He placed it on a small table set out specifically for his plants where it was positioned in just the right spot to allow for optimal sunlight. Once his cactus had been set down, he went back inside grabbing a large concrete bowl that was full of various different succulents. Temari had gifted it to him when he had gotten the job as a social worker the year previous, and he had proudly and diligently kept it alive and intended to for a long time.

Gaara sat cross legged in front of his plants, drinking his coffee and letting the sun warm his back as it rose, much like the succulents in front of him. After a few moments of peace, he heard the sliding door open, Kankuro’s loud yawn following quickly, accompanied by the sound of scratching. Gaara could tell without even looking that he was scratching his behind.

“Morning, Gaara. Thanks for the coffee.”

Gaara hummed in reply, standing up and grabbing his empty mug. Kankuro ruffled his hair as he walked by. Gaara ignored it knowing that it wouldn’t change anytime soon. The more he showed he was annoyed by it, the more often Kankuro would do it.

He walked into the kitchen, rinsing his mug and putting a few cups and bowls into the dishwasher to run while they were gone for the day. He would make sure to have Kankuro unload it later that night. After he finished, he showered and got dressed, opting for a light gray button down paired with navy blue slacks. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, finger combed his hair, and grabbed his bag. As he was leaving, he made sure to tell Kankuro, repeatedly, to unload the dishwasher. He was so focused on whatever rerun was playing on tv that all he could do was grunt. Gaara rolled his eyes as he shut the door behind him. He would have to try and get Temari to talk some sense into him later.

After arriving at work, he opened his office, setting his things down on his desk. He booted up his computer, shuffling through the notes he had made the previous day. His eyes drifted to the ones he had made at the skate boarding program, but he knew that he should work on the main case first making sure to remove the child from the house as quickly as he could.

He opened the report document he had started, making sure to list everything that he knew regarding the parents and their condition. He had worked with them for months, warning them of the consequences of continuing down the destructive path they were on. They truly wanted what was best for their son, but couldn’t seem to clean up their act. He really wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, going farther than any other social worker might have. He enrolled them in class after class, visited often to check their progress, and even allowed them additional months to attempt to get them to improve for their child. But they couldn’t and it was now up to Gaara to make the difficult decision of placing him in a better home, regardless of what the parents wanted.

He finished typing the report, listing the date and details of each of his visits as well as his primary concerns. Once completed he emailed it to Temari, officially making the request to have the child removed. He felt sadness and remorse wash over him as he did so, but he suppressed it, pushing it down into a cavity in his chest. He knew that it never did any good to get emotional over cases such as these. He needed to be strong for the kids.

Knowing it would be a few days before the request was accepted or denied, he began working on furthering his evaluation of Lee’s program. He pulled a few files he had worked on knowing those kids had been working with Lee for a while. The main one he wanted to focus on was Raito’s, knowing that she had the most consistent home situation since she had been placed in foster care and consequently the skateboarding program.

He wrote a few lines, detailing the progress Raito had made in the last year and noting how it lined up with the goals Lee had for the program. He also made sure to list the things her moms had said knowing that they would probably have noticed the biggest differences since starting. Gaara smiled as he typed, remembering how excited Raito was and how much she had opened up compared to when he first met her. He was glad that she had found a new family, one that was willing to love her and keep her as their own. Unfortunately, not all kids were as lucky as she was, some even resorting to the same path as their parents. But that was why programs were designed specifically for at risk kids like them. And that’s why Gaara was taking the project so seriously, dedicated to providing funding for the programs that were likely to benefit the kids the most. 

He continued to type, but found his thoughts drifting back to Lee. Neji had given him some information regarding his past, but Gaara didn’t know much more. He opened up a new tab on his computer and typed Lee’s name in, hoping to find something about his skating program.

He found a few articles from the Konoha paper talking about the program and about Lee’s foster sister, Tenten. Gaara went to open one of the articles regarding the program but another one quickly caught his eye. It had a picture of a younger Lee laying in a hospital bed, his cheeks rounder and his arms bare. The arm that now had a dragon wrapping around it was covered in a thick cast. Bruising ran up the same side of his body, and a bandage was securely wrapped around his head. Gaara hesitated for a moment, looked back out his office door to ensure no one was looking in, and clicked on the article.

“Local boy is hit by truck crushing several bones on the left side of his body. He was on his way to becoming a professional skater alongside his foster sister, but is not expected to make a full recovery.”

Another picture of Lee was shown below that, one from before the accident. He stood on his hands on top of a skateboard in a similar fashion to what he had done the night previous, though Gaara noticed that he wasn’t as toned or balanced. A younger, bun-headed girl stood behind him, cupping her hands around her mouth as she cheered him on. A caption was listed under the picture:

“Lee tries to stay positive, completing all of the physical therapy as he can, sometimes more than the doctors would recommend. But at this point in time, he is too far behind to even hope to join his foster sister at regionals next month.”

Gaara scowled at that. Who were they to say what he could and couldn’t do? And even if it were true, why would you say that in a public paper? He had no doubt that Lee had read that in the hospital. Gaara knew how easily words affected foster kids like Lee and was sure it had absolutely crushed him.

Gaara closed out of the page, resting his chin in his hand. He drummed his fingers on the desk. He looked at the clock, not sure how much time had passed. To his surprise, it was nearing the end of the day. Lee’s program would begin in an hour.

He jumped out of his desk chair and walked swiftly to Temari’s office. He pushed in through the door, not taking the time to knock as he came to a halt in front of his desk, startling his sister. 

“So, where’s the fire?” she asked, a light glare on her face as she looked up at her younger brother. Gaara relaxed, realizing that he had barged in much more aggressively than he had intended to.

“Uh, sorry. No fire. I just wanted to let you know that I will be going back to the skate program tonight. The initial evaluation was completed yesterday, but I do want to ensure that I visit three or four more times to make sure that I have the full picture. Possibly even five. Or six.”

Temari raised an eyebrow at him, her hands clasped beneath her chin as she looked at him in confusion. “Gaara, you know you aren’t supposed to visit frequently or several nights in a row. It makes things harder to evaluate because they’re expecting you. They’ll be on their best behavior from the get go.

“From what I saw last night, Rock Lee is always on his best behavior. But I do understand what you’re saying,” Gaara replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I will go tonight then spread my visits out more. Perhaps I will even need to go seven or eight times.

Temari blinked at him slowly, her expression turning into one of mild shock. “Gaara, you do realize that we need to cut funding for this sooner rather than later if it turns out to not be good for the kids, right? That’s our whole purpose. We need to have the kids’ best interests be the priority, not whatever has you so excited.”

“I’m not excited about anything,” Gaara huffed, dropping his hands to his sides. “I’m just… interested in the program. From what I saw last night it has the potential to be beneficial.

“...Right,” Temari said, continuing to stare at Gaara in concern. “Just please remember what our purpose is here.”

“Of course. You know I always do.”

“I know. Now, please go somewhere else so I can evaluate the report you sent me. It looks like kind of a messy situation, especially seeing how the parents still want him and have put a lot of effort into keeping him.”

“Sometimes even our best efforts aren’t enough,” Gaara said, his eyes dropping to the ground. Temari nodded solemnly before waving Gaara out of her office. He walked away quietly, his head swimming with all of the new information he had learned.

As he left, Temari pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Kankuro. She hoped that he knew what had Gaara so frantic. She constantly worried about her brothers, the only relief was knowing that they lived with each other and would willingly rat each other out whenever she asked.

An hour later, Gaara found himself pulling into the parking lot, a familiar scene playing in front of him. Lee was about to begin the program, dipping in and out of bowls as he attempted, and succeeded, to once again impress the kids. Gaara smiled as he walked towards them, the laughter and screams of the kids lightening his somewhat dismal mood. As Lee rolled down one ramp and jumped off the next, he made eye contact with Gaara in the air. He began to wave, temporarily distracted, before falling right into the cement beneath him.

Gaara broke into a run, throwing his bag to the ground as he passed the parents and kids lining the bowl. He slid down the side getting dust on his pants, but he didn’t really notice. He saw Lee sitting up at the bottom, a giant rip in the knee of his black overalls. His black and white striped shirt was covered in the same dust Gaara had on his pants. He had cut his knee, the skin turning red as it began to bleed. Luckily, Lee was wearing a helmet or the damage could have been a lot worse.

“Gaara! What a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?”

“Lee, never mind that, are you okay?” Gaara asked in a panicky voice, kneeling next to Lee and looking him over. Lee laughed brightly, causing Gaara to redirect his gaze to Lee’s face, and specifically, his mouth. The dimple he had noticed the day before bobbed as Lee laughed. 

“I have been in much worse condition before! Thank you for your concern!”

Gaara thought back to the article he had read about his accident. Lee began to get up, but Gaara pushed him back down gently. “Please sit still, I have a first aid kit in my car, I’ll run and grab it.”

Gaara turned around, about to scramble up the walls of the park when he heard a loud rip behind him. He looked back to see Lee standing, his shoes set next to him and one of his pant legs ripped off where the hole had been. It didn’t take long for him to replicate the tear on his other pant leg, turning his overalls into shorts. Gaara didn’t really know how fashionably sound it was, but the only thing he could focus on in that moment was how well defined the front of his legs were. And when Lee turned around to pick up his shoes, his calves flexed, causing Gaara’s eyes to widen. 

“Sit back down,” Gaara said, his voice wobbling slightly. “I’m going to go get the kit.”

“But, what about the kids?” Lee asked whining slightly.

“They’ll be fine for now. An injured instructor isn’t really very beneficial to them, now is it?”

Lee opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Gaara had already pulled himself over the ledge and began walking back towards his car. After he had retrieved the first aid kit and calmed his panicked heart, he walked back to where Lee was waiting in the bottom of the bowl. There he saw him, his shoes now on and one of the smaller children on his lap as he knocked his feet together.

“Oh, see there he is! I told you he would come back,” Lee told the small child, lifting them off his lap. “Go play for a bit, Kayo, Doctor Gaara is going to patch me up.”

Kayo ran off, Lee laughing as they did so. Gaara knelt next to him and silently pulled out a sanitizing wipe. He set his hand on Lee’s leg while the other went to work, cleaning off the already dried blood and the grime that had managed to make its way into the wound.

“So. You’ve had worse before?” Gaara asked, his eyes staying focused on Lee’s leg.

“Oh, yes, much worse! When I was younger I was hit by a car. It completely shattered all of the bones in my left arm and leg. I was told I would not be able to walk normally again, let alone skate. I worked hard and trained every day and here I am now! Proving that passion and youth cannot be stopped in the face of adversity as long as we have determination!”

Gaara stared at Lee, his brow scrunched slightly. He knew the article had said Lee had an undying optimism, but he didn’t realize how truthful that was, especially now that it had been years since the accident.

“That sounds like it was very hard. You must be very dedicated. That’s an admirable trait.” Gaara made a few more swipes over Lee’s knee, taking more care than he may have normally done to clean it off. 

“Thank you for your kind words, Gaara. That was a difficult and very dark time of my life. I had done everything I could to be an excellent skater in spite of my childhood and it felt like everything was for naught. But I am glad for that challenge as it taught me to be fierce, like a dragon. That is why I have a dragon tattoo on my left arm, see?”

Lee held his arm out for Gaara to look at. It was something that was hard to miss, but as Gaara looked closer, he saw lines of jagged scar tissue running up and down his arm, slightly distorting the dragon’s features. Gaara reached out to touch it, but remembering where he was and who he was talking to, he withdrew just as quickly. 

“You can feel it,” Lee said, pressing his arm closer to Gaara. “It no longer hurts, though a lot of the skin is now numb because of the nerve damage. Sometimes at night or when it is going to rain my arm and leg ache terribly, but that is what I have tiger balm for.”

Gaara looked at Lee hesitantly, then reached out a small hand, pressing it gently to his bicep. He ran his hand over his scars, feeling the bumps that proved Lee’s resilience. His thumb dragged over the head of the dragon where the muscle in his bicep dipped. He did his best to push out thoughts of being held in Lee’s strong arms. He was surprised at his lack of professionalism. Perhaps he needed to distance himself from Lee.

Instead, he found himself scooting closer. He rifled through the case until he found a bandaid.

“I’m sorry, it isn’t very grown up, but I usually use these for children,” Gaara said, sticking the bandaid over Lee’s cut. It was a pale pink with different kinds of succulents decorating it.

“This is wonderful! I have always wanted to grow a succulent,” Lee said, smiling at Gaara.

“I could teach you how. I have a few at home.” Gaara stood up reluctantly, brushing his hands on his pants.

“I would like that very much, Gaara! And in exchange, I can teach you how to skate!”

Gaara snorted. “Like I said, I’m not a skater. The closest thing you could get me to skating would be a scooter.”

A mischievous look flashed over Lee’s face for a moment, but it disappeared quickly. He grabbed the skateboard sitting a few feet away and ran up and over the ledge. “Sorry, everyone, who is ready to skate?”

Gaara smiled as a crowd of excited children began to holler and clap. He pulled himself out of the bowl, struggling slightly. A few kids on roller blades zoomed by him as Lee began to direct everyone on where to go. Gaara wasn’t sure how he did it, especially with the various forms of skating that were going on. He had been overwhelmed just looking at all of the options in the skate shop, yet here was Lee, not only telling the kids how to do each form, but demonstrating where possible.

Gaara sat down on a bench and enjoyed the organized chaos. His notebook was left forgotten in his bag. For this session, he would just allow himself to sit back and enjoy it. He had told Temari he would schedule in extra evaluations and it wasn’t like he was using company time to be there.

After running through various drills, and comforting more than one fallen child, Lee sent them off with instructions to free skate for fifteen minutes. Assuming that things would be wrapping up, Gaara grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder to head home. As he began walking, he heard a shout behind him.

“Gaara, wait!” Lee yelled, jogging over to him.

“Oh, hello, Lee. I assumed you were finished for the night. How is your knee doing?”

“My knee?” Lee asked, his thick eyebrows drawn down in confusion. “Oh! Yes, it is fine. Would you like to sit with me for a few moments before I close this session?”

Gaara smiled at the way Lee spoke about a skating program so formally. “Of course.”

Lee’s face illuminated at Gaara’s response, grabbing him gently by the elbow and redirecting him back to the bench he was sitting on before. He sat down, tucking his hands under his thighs and staring expectantly at Gaara. 

“I met your friend that works at the skate shop,” Gaara blurted out, not sure what else to say.

“Oh, Neji? That is wonderful! He worked so hard to get his own store. We are so proud of him! I hope that he was nice to you. He can be a lot to handle sometimes, but he really does mean well. How did you find out we were friends?”

Gaara’s face reddened at the memory. “Oh, well, my brother works for him. His name is Kankuro, I’m not sure if you know of him,” he said. Seeing the confusion on Lee’s face, he continued, “He always wears a black hoodie, helmet with cat ears, he usually has some kind of face paint on, he’s a roller blader-”

“He roller blades?! That is so exciting! I have been wanting to get another person on the team, I know some roller blading, but I worry that it is not enough to be effective! Do you think that he would want to come?”

Gaara glared slightly, turning to face forward. He didn’t really like being interrupted and he didn’t really feel like sharing his time with Lee with his annoying older brother. But Lee had looked so excited, and he didn’t want to change that…

“I will talk to him and see what he says. No promises, he isn’t the most reliable.”

“Oh, thank you, Gaara! You are truly incredible.” Lee smiled softly, placing his hand on Gaara’s shoulder. Gaara’s face softened at that as he turned to Lee. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lee jumped up, pulling Gaara with him.

“It is time to be done skating for the night!” he called to the kids, his enthusiasm met with groans.

“I know, I am sad too! But, I will see you next time, I am sure of it! Before you go, please remember to always work hard on your dreams and passionately embrace these golden days of your youth! No matter your past, you can overcome all challenges to grow up to be the best person you could ever be!” Lee stuck a thumbs up to all of the kids who returned it.

“And finally, remember! Hugs, not drugs!” he yelled enthusiastically. He grabbed Gaara around his shoulders, wrapping his other arm around the front of him in demonstration. Gaara’s face began to burn, but he returned the hug as best as he could with the weird angle Lee had positioned them in. As the kids walked away with their respective guardians, Lee turned slightly to hug Gaara fully. Gaara hesitated, worried about how this would look seeing as he was supposed to be evaluating Lee’s program. But, technically, he wasn’t evaluating that night.

He wrapped his arms around Lee’s back, resting his head gently on his chest. After a few moments, Lee pulled back, holding Gaara’s arms as he looked at him.

“Sorry, you just seemed sad today,” Lee said, smiling gently at Gaara. “I hope I was not overstepping any boundaries.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Gaara said, swallowing loudly. 

“So,” Lee said, clearing his throat and dropping his arms to his sides with a smack. “What are you doing here today? Not that I am not happy to see you! Er, well. I just mean, normally at my branch we are asked to not evaluate more than one day in a row.”

“We’re not supposed to, either. But I wanted to come see you. And more of the program!” Gaara quickly added. They both blushed lightly, looking down at the ground to avoid the other’s face. 

“Well, I am glad you did so. It was lovely to see you again,” Lee said, kicking at a stray pebble near his foot. “I hope you are enjoying the program so far.”

“I am. You are great with the kids.

“Thank you, as are you!” Lee said, looking up at Gaara with a smile. “I should let you go. Thank you for spending some time with me. I hope you drive home safely.”

Gaara nodded, looking up at Lee. They both stood for a moment, staring at the other before Lee cleared his throat and turned abruptly away from Gaara.

“Have a good night!” he said with a wave, placing his skateboard on the ground. Gaara watched him go, half heartedly waving back even though Lee could no longer see him. He walked back to his car, scrolling through a few missed calls from Kankuro. He swiped the notification and put the phone to his ear.

“Dude, where the hell have you been? Tem texted me earlier worried about you and you didn’t answer my calls.”

“Hello to you, too, Kankuro. I didn’t know that I had to be at your every beck and call at all hours of the day,” Gaara said, sliding into the front seat of his car.

“Well, someone’s grumpy. Did you have to evaluate that skate program again? Is that why you’re angsty?”

“I am not angsty. And yes, I did.”

“Temari texted me about it. She said that it wasn’t a required evaluation night. Why did you go? Are you secretly selling drugs on some street corner?!”

Gaara thought about Lee hugging him and felt his cheeks growing hot again. He was glad that Kankuro couldn’t see him. “No, I’m not selling any drugs.” Gaara laughed lightly. “I just wanted to see Lee again. To evaluate him as an instructor! Nothing else.” Gaara cursed silently. He knew he had already said too much.

“Gaara, do you have a crush on skater boy?”

“What? No. I’m too old to get crushes. And this is strictly for work. Now, I’m almost there to pick you up. Did you need anything else?”

“Just one thing, do you recognize this song? He was a skater boy, she said see you later boy, he wasn’t good enough for her!”

Kankuro’s awful singing was cut off when Gaara slammed his thumb down on the “end call” button. He still wondered how he managed to be the older brother, but still be more annoying and immature than Gaara was.

After a few more minutes of driving, he pulled into the parking lot of the skate shop. Surprisingly, Neji stood outside with Kankuro, leaning against the building and shooting a death glare into Gaara’s car. When he had pulled up, Neji walked over to the driver side, knocking on the window.

“Can you please show up on time? I have to deal with him all day.”

“You know you could have left him, right? And I was spending time with your friend, Lee, who happens to speak very highly of you.” Gaara’s eyes narrowed as he stared Neji down. At the mention of Lee, something flashed across Neji’s face, but it quickly returned to a scowl.

“Fine, whatever. Let me suffer, I guess.”

Neji stepped away from the car, placing his skateboard down and pushing off forcefully, shooting him across the parking lot.

“Bye!” Kankuro called after him, his voice sing-songy. He plopped into the passenger seat of Gaara’s car. “See, I told you he- what’s wrong?”

He stared Gaara down, sensing his mood as soon as they were in close proximity.

“Nothing, Kankuro,” Gaara sighed. “I’m just tired. How was work?”

“Nope, changing the subject doesn’t help. You have something on your mind. Is it because of Neji? Because he can be kind of a bitch sometimes, but really he-”

“No, it’s not about Neji. I’m tired and I’m working on two big cases at the moment. I’m just ready for bed.”

Kankuro sighed, turning to face the road. After a few blissful moments of silence, he began to hum the song he had been singing to Gaara on the phone earlier. Gaara shot his hand out, hitting the buttons on the radio to play a CD. Kankuro got the message, turning to stare out the window. Once they got back to their apartment, Gaara grabbed Kankuro’s skates, helping him as he juggled his helmet and bag from work.

“I still think that you’re head over heels for that guy,” Kankuro said as they began climbing the stairs to their door. 

“Kankuro, I don’t want to talk about Lee anymore. I don’t like him. I am evaluating his program as part of my job. It would be incredibly unprofessional to even consider dating him. Now, please shut up for once in your life.”

In an act of annoyance and childishness, Gaara threw one of the skates down at Kankuro. He bent to pick it up, his helmet jostling in his other arm.

“Damn, Gaara, sorry. Forget roller blading, you should try ice skating, because you are one cold, ass, bi-”

Kankuro’s insult was interrupted by the sound of Gaara slamming and locking their apartment door, leaving Kankuro on the front step.


	4. Fatherhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara meets Lee’s parents and reveals more about himself than he intends to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!!  
> Sorry this chapter is up later than usual!! Just wanted to highlight an AMAZING drawing that konanbases2 did!!! It is SO BEAUTIFUL!! They are so talented!!  
> https://www.deviantart.com/konanbases2/art/Skater-Lee-802865607
> 
> Thank you as usual to the amazing ManaBanana(ao3) for pre-reading this fic for me and being one of my favoritest people in the entire galaxy. But wait, they don’t just do fan fiction, they also draw!! They are missdetache on tumblr and have some of my FAVORITE art ever!! Check them out!!
> 
> Hope you enjoy! 💖🌵

Gaara had kept Kankuro locked out of the apartment for a good fifteen minutes. He took his time putting things away, setting the kettle on the stove, and placing his clothes out for the next day. He did all of this to the sound of Kankuro banging on the door and whining “Gaara, come on, I was kidding!” 

After a sufficient amount of time for Kankuro to be standing on the porch had passed, Gaara walked to the door, mug in hand, and pulled it open just enough for Kankuro to peek in. “Are you ready to come out of time out now?”

“Gaara, you’re a little shit, you know that?” Kankuro pushed the door open, jostling Gaara slightly. He glared at him before going to his room, shutting the door behind him a little harder than necessary. Gaara sighed, staring at the ceiling. He finished drinking his tea, cleaned up the kitchen counter, then went off to his room. 

After showering and pulling on his pajamas, Gaara stared at himself in the mirror. He ran his fingers through his hair that now looked blood red from the water. He thought to Lee and how brightly his hair reflected the sun, even though it was black. He imagined what it would look like when it was wet…

Then he aggressively toweled his hair off, trying to brush his stray thoughts away.

Though he had come to terms with his sexuality years before he had even considered becoming a social worker, he had promised himself that he would never allow his feelings to come before his career or the kids he worked with. He had been lucky to be in therapy already around the time he had started to notice his attraction to other boys. It had helped him work out his confusion and accept it. He had promised himself that he would focus solely on his career after he had graduated, almost guaranteeing a life alone. On the surface he wanted to have a successful and meaningful career, but deep down he was still trying to prove to himself and others that he was someone worth other people’s time, someone that could be more than his father told him he could be. He would work as hard as he could to prove to the world that he was someone worth knowing, someone who had a significance in their lives.

This was why he struggled so much in his feelings for Lee, if he did admit they were feelings at all. They both worked in the same fields and were equally dedicated to the kids, but Gaara couldn’t help but feel that Lee was so much more significant, so much more essential to the world than Gaara could ever be. Regardless of how it affected he or Lee’s career, he knew that he could never be enough for Lee, one who shone so brightly regardless of the darkness around him.

Gaara crawled into bed, a hollow loneliness filling his chest. It had grown deeper than usual recently. What had started out as a minute sense of longing, festered into a dull ache, one that echoed into the emptiness of the space next to him in bed. He grabbed his pillow, tucking himself into it.

“I just need to work harder,” he whispered, slipping further under the blanket. “I’ve lost focus of my true purpose. I need to work harder.”

As Gaara began to doze off, a stray tear fell from his face and onto the pillow held tightly in his arms. 

Over the next few days, Gaara threw himself into his work. He wanted to forget all about Lee, re-establishing the level of professionalism he had placed in their first visit. He had scheduled a time to get the child he was working with from their parents the following week, meaning he had a few days to visit with other foster kids, check in with a few foster parents to ensure that all was running smoothly, and even implement new plans for some of the more troubled children. He found himself thinking less and less of Lee, abruptly redirecting his thoughts away from him anytime they strayed further than he wanted them to. He worked long, fourteen hour days, getting to work at five and not leaving until seven when he had to pick up Kankuro. His siblings were slightly concerned, worried that he was slipping back into the unhealthy patterns he had been troubled with when they were younger.

The day before Gaara was supposed to take the child to the foster home, he planned to go to the skate park again. He decided that this would be the last time, knowing that three visits would suffice for what Temari needed him to investigate. He was kind of disappointed. He had enjoyed the program, and Lee’s company, more than he thought he would. But he had a duty to the children and wasn’t going to let a silly “crush”, as Kankuro had called it, distract him from his purpose.

As the day went on, Gaara found himself reluctantly getting more and more excited to get off work. He tried to convince himself that it was because he was tired and excited to get home and sleep, but he wasn’t able to. He knew he was looking forward to seeing Lee. 

Even though the program started at 5, Gaara found himself leaving work at 4:30. It only took him fifteen minutes to get to the skate park, but… traffic might be bad. He wasn’t hoping Lee would be there early too. He just wanted to be punctual.

He pulled into the parking lot, a familiar excitement growing in his chest. He was surprised to see that there wasn’t anyone in the bowl of the skate park, rather, it seemed almost too quiet. It wasn’t until he had stepped through the gates that he noticed the sound of loud sniffling. Worried that it was a child, he turned around frantically only to be met with the sight of Lee sitting on a bench and crying.

“Lee?” he called hesitantly, slowly walking towards him.

“Oh, Gaara! I am so sorry, I did not know that you would be coming today,” Lee said, his voice thick and nasally. He began wiping his tears on his green hoodie, doing his best to calm himself. Gaara grabbed his arm, pulling it down so he could look at his face.

“Lee. I know you’ve been crying. What happened? Are you hurt?”

Lee smiled sadly, placing his hand over his chest. “I am not hurt physically. It was just a very hard day at work. I am sorry to have worried you.”

“Please don’t apologize, Lee,” Gaara said, sitting next to him on the bench. “Would you like to talk about it? I’m happy to listen.”

Lee leaned forward, resting his chin in his hands as his elbows sat propped on his ripped jeans. “A child I had been working with was given back to her mother. She was doing really well in foster care. Her foster parents were even considering fully adopting her. But” Lee began sobbing again, folding himself over in pain. Gaara rubbed his back softly, reasoning that consoling someone was more important than being professional. “But, the mother fought tooth and nail for custody and somehow won. She is terribly abusive, I do not know why the judge allowed her to take her back. And now the child’s heart is broken as well as the foster family’s hearts. And the mother did nothing to pay for the terrible things she did, and will keep doing.”

Gaara continued to rub small, soothing circles into Lee’s back, unsure of what to say. After a few moments, he calmed down. He drew in a shuddery breath, watching the kids in the program begin to walk up to the skate park.

“I am sorry to have broken down like this, Gaara. I am sure you deal with enough emotions every day as it is. You are very level headed. Thank you for helping me.”

Gaara stood, looking up at Lee as he smiled down at him. He quickly wound his arms around Lee’s back, pulling him into a hug. Lee stood shocked momentarily, before returning the hug at a bone crushing level. He pulled back and moved his hand up to touch Gaara’s face, but hesitated and instead brushed his hand over his hair.

“Oh, you, er, had a bug in your hair.”

“Oh. Thanks,” Gaara said, slightly disappointed. Lee briskly nodded at Gaara before turning and running toward the group of kids who had begun to grow restless. Gaara smiled as he watched him, sitting back on the bench and grabbing his notebook. He began to jot a few notes down, reminders for his report and various tasks he needed to do the next day, when he suddenly heard a booming voice behind him yell Lee’s name, causing Gaara to jump in his seat and drop the pen he was holding

“LEE!” they called, even louder than the first time. Before Gaara had a chance to turn and see who was yelling so loudly, a figure zoomed past him in a wheelchair. The man, who seemed to look fairly similar to Lee, continued pushing his wheels at lightning speed, heading straight for the bowl of the skate park. 

“Stop!” Gaara yelled, racing after him. But it was too late, the man dropped directly in—

—then came up over the ramp on the opposite side, yelling wildly as his chair caught two feet of air. 

Gaara’s jaw dropped as he continued to roll around, yelling wildly while the kids cheered. He watched Lee turn away from a group of kids he was talking to. 

“Dad! You made it!” Lee ran down to him, a huge grin on his face and a child on his back. 

“Of course I did, Lee!” the man boomed, giving Gaara the beginnings of a headache. “I want nothing more than to support you in your dreams of helping these youthful children.” 

Lee’s dad burst into tears, leaving Lee to pat him on the back comfortingly. Lee, too, seemed as if he was going to begin crying, so Gaara walked up to him, wanting to help if he could. 

“Gaara! I am so glad you are here. This is my dad, Maito Gai. Dad, this is Gaara!” 

“Ah, so you’re Gaara! I have heard a lot about you.” Gai gave Gaara a huge grin, waggling his eyebrows slightly. 

“Dad, Gaara is very busy,” Lee said, blushing as he grabbed the child off his back and handed her to Gaara. “Where is Kakashi?”

Gaara adjusted the child on his hip, smiling down at her gently. 

“I’m here,” said a man behind Gaara, sliding awkwardly into the bowl where they stood, “So much for a nice walk in the park.”

“Kakashi! Where is your youthful spirit?!” Gai bellowed, clapping him on the back, causing him to stumble and sit in his lap. 

“Gai, I think we’re a little past youthful.”

Gai opened his mouth to protest, but Lee cut them off by grabbing Gaara and pulling him closer to where they stood. 

“Gaara! This is my other dad, Kakashi.”

“Yo,” Kakashi said, raising one hand lazily as he sat in his husband’s lap. “Sorry if this one scared you. He’s kind of a lot to handle.”

“Ah, but not too much for you, rival!” Gai yelled, pulling Kakashi down to kiss his cheek. 

“Truly a miracle. Come on, Gai, let’s leave these boys to their… skating,” Kakashi said, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He pulled himself off of Gai’s lap and grabbed the back of his chair. 

“Kakashi! Push me up the side of the bowl!” Gai yelled, laughing boisterously. 

“Gai, you know I can’t do that,” Kakashi groaned, extending his body fully as he attempted to push him out of the bowl. 

Lee laughed at the sight, staring at them with a fondness and longing that Gaara found oddly familiar. 

“Oh! Sorry, Gaara,” Lee said, turning back to him. He grabbed the girl from his hip, his hands gently brushing Gaara’s sides as he did so. Gaara stepped back as his cheeks began to burn. 

“Well, I guess. I guess I should go observe.”

Lee nodded, smiling at the child in his arms. 

“Okay, kids! Let’s begin!” Lee yelled, staring at Gaara as he continued to smile. Gaara turned abruptly, attempting to scramble up the side of the bowl. He slid down, his anxiousness from the contact with Lee making it harder for him to properly coordinate his limbs. 

“Here, let me assist you!” he heard Lee say from his side. He grabbed onto his hand gently, tugging him towards the ledge. Gaara laced their fingers together, unable to resist the temptation, even though it was a less convenient way for Lee to get him out. Lee paused, his hand gripping the edge of the bowl, and looked down at Gaara, his eyes wide and his cheeks slightly pink. Gaara tore his face away from Lee, focusing on the slick cement beneath him. He pushed himself up the hill, trying not to notice how Lee’s forearm flexed against his as he pulled. 

He was so focused on trying to pull himself up, and the weight of Lee’s hand in his, that he didn’t realize that Lee was already out, sitting on the ledge as he continued to pull Gaara. He planted his foot on the ground, shoving off hard. 

Connecting his head straight into Lee’s. 

Lee fell backwards, letting go of Gaara’s hand, which caused Gaara to fall forward on top of him. His cheek smashed onto his chest, his face vibrating as Lee laughed. He rolled off quickly, turning his head to the sky and cursing it for his constant bad luck. Though, his brain did try to reason that laying on Lee’s chest wasn’t the worst thing in the world, even if the circumstances weren’t ideal. He looked over at Lee who was already staring at him, a soft expression on his face. Once Gaara made eye contact, Lee cleared his throat, pushing himself to stand before pulling Gaara up. 

“Okay, kids, sorry about that! Let us begin!”

Lee walked toward the group of kids leaving Gaara to stand awkwardly alone. After composing himself, he turned to sit on the bench where his stuff lay slightly strewn. He sat down, clicked his pen, and sighed. He had a job to do, and he hoped that he would be able to focus well enough to do it. He silently cursed himself, trying to remember the promises he had made the night before to better focus on his career. 

But, would pursuing a relationship really make him less successful?

Gaara chose to compartmentalize that thought for later when he had time to sort it out. He no longer ignored questions or feelings like this, knowing it wasn't healthy, but he didn’t want to deal with it when he had such an important job to do. He leaned back on the bench, his pen in hand and his mind gently guided back to the task before him. He watched the kids skate around for a while, his mind beginning to comprehend the seeming chaos of the session.

Lee was very methodic in the way he taught. He would work with specific groups of kids, though he didn’t group them himself. He allowed them to go where they were most comfortable, some choosing larger groups and some hanging back by themselves. He would give direction to the bigger groups, allowing a few of the more outspoken kids to act as a leader. Then, he would find the kids that were skating alone, taking the time to connect with them one on one and teach them a simple skill they could easily pick up. From there, he would bring the child into one of the larger groups or create an entirely new group.

“Hey! Have you met my friend, Raito?” Lee said, pulling one of the shyer kids over to the girl. Gaara’s heart warmed at the way Lee said her name. Gaara felt especially close to Raito and he was so glad to see that Lee was taking such good care of her. He continued taking notes, detailing the methods Lee used when teaching. Regardless of his personal feelings for Lee, he could tell that the program was beneficial to the kids, something he was proud to know that his branch was helping to support. But, it wouldn’t hurt to attend a few more sessions, he decided.

The scratching of Gaara’s pen continued throughout the rest of the hour. He wanted to be diligent in his report, as Temari was sometimes hard to convince. Once the session ended and Lee had dismissed the kids with another rousing speech, Gaara wrapped up his notes for that day’s session. He continued to sit on the bench, idly hoping that Lee would talk to him again. He waited for a few minutes just staring at his notebook until he decided it was time to head home. Maybe he would be able to talk to him next time, if he didn’t embarrass himself as much.

As he stood to pack his notebook, he saw Lee run over, then abruptly stop as he watched Gaara grab his stuff. He stood awkwardly, his hands in his hoodie pocket, as he tapped the front of his shoes on the ground.

“Hello, Lee,” Gaara called from his place by the bench.

“Oh! Gaara! My apologies, I was coming over to talk to you, but it seems you are ready to leave.”

Gaara sat quickly back down on the bench, patting the space next to him almost aggressively. “No, I would love to talk with you, Lee. Unless… you’re leaving?”

“No, I um. I wanted to talk with you!”

Gaara nodded his head, realizing how awkward that whole exchange had been. He sighed internally, annoyed with how calm he could appear in the face of the toughest situations, yet when he was even slightly interested in someone, he became a mess. He took a deep breath as Lee sat down next to him, trying not to think about how nice he smelled. Like forests and sweat. Was that a weird thing to think?

“So, how long have you been doing the program?” Gaara asked, turning his body slightly so he was facing Lee. He turned his head to the side, his hair swishing gently as he thought. 

“Hmm… I started it with my girlfriend about a year and a half ago.”

Gaara’s heart dropped as he reminded himself why he decided to focus on his career solely. “Your girlfriend is very lucky.”

“Oh! Well, she’s an… ex-girlfriend now, I suppose. After about six months of doing the program, she decided to leave. I’ve been doing it alone ever since. Well, sometimes my dad helps out.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Gaara shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

“No worries at all! She is a lovely person. Turns out we just don’t mesh as well as I thought we did.”

“She missed out.” Lee turned to Gaara at that, smiling gently as tears welled up in his eyes. 

“Thank you, Gaara. Whoever you end up with will be very lucky.”

Gaara smiled back, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. 

“So… what did you think of my dads?” Lee asked, his hair swishing as he placed his hands on either side of his thighs. 

“Oh. They seem nice,” Gaara responded, mimicking Lee’s pose. He wasn’t really sure why it mattered what he thought. Maybe Lee was just trying to make conversation. 

Lee beamed at him, the sun glinting off of his teeth causing Gaara’s heart to flutter, Lee’s dimple staring him straight in the face. He swallowed, attempting to quiet the butterflies in his stomach. 

“Though, I suppose they aren’t really my dads.” Lee’s smile faltered slightly, his eyebrows drawing down. 

“Did they never officially adopt you?” Gaara asked before hesitating. “Oh, but you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, I do not mind!” Lee said, laughing lightly. “I am an open book, you can ask me anything! Anything,” he repeated, gently placing a hand on Gaara’s shoulder. Gaara’s eyes widened as his cheeks flushed. Lee moved his hand, clearing his throat. 

“But, no. They did not officially adopt me, nor my foster sister, Tenten. She is a famous skater, I hope you will be able to meet her someday!”

“Yes, Neji told me about her,” Gaara said, smiling at Lee’s enthusiasm. “You all seem so close. May I ask why they never adopted the two of you?”

“Of course! Unfortunately, same-sex couples were not allowed to adopt at the time. By the time it was legalized, Tenten and I were older and it didn’t make sense anymore.” Lee shrugged. “But Gai always says that it is not a name or a certificate that makes someone family. It is the love and devotion you give to them!”

Gaara nodded in agreement. “That’s true. I’m very glad that it has been legalized, though. It truly has been so beneficial.”

“Oh, absolutely!” Lee said, nodding enthusiastically. “You can tell that the parents really want a child, every same-sex couple I have worked with has been so excited and eager to adopt. Just like Raito’s parents! They are so lovely.”

“Yes, Raito is definitely lucky. And so are her parents. They are a beautiful family. I’m glad that they legalized it, I hope to adopt someday,” Gaara said, not realizing what he was revealing. Normally he was very conscious and careful when he spoke, but his words flowed easily when he talked to Lee. Something about him made Gaara want to tell him everything. His face turned red as he stared at Lee, wanting to change the subject, but not sure how. 

“O-oh! So you’re… you’re gay, then? Of course, we do not have to talk about it, I am so sorry! Please know I would never say anything to anyone!” Lee stammered, holding his hands out in front of his chest. 

“No, Lee, it’s… it’s fine. I don’t talk about it often, but yes, I am...gay.”

They sat in silence for a moment, the air thick with tension. In an attempt to lighten it, Gaara laughed awkwardly before saying, “Don’t worry. I won’t try to flirt with you.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind if you did…” Lee said, staring at Gaara. His ears turned red as he straightened his posture, scratching the back of his head. “I mean, I’m used to it! Er, not that I am… flirted with all the time. I mean… what I’m trying to say is… I AM BISEXUAL SO IT’S TOTALLY FINE,” Lee blurted out, his words stumbling into each other. 

Gaara tried to ignore the soaring in his heart at Lee’s words. He smiled at Lee before turning his head to look at the rest of the park, his hand slowly inching closer to Lee’s hand next to him. Just as their pinkies began to brush, Lee jumped off the bench excitedly. 

“Hey, you got new Vans!”

Gaara stood up, tapping his toes against Lee’s like he had done the first time they met. 

“Yeah, I did. I saw them the other day and…” Gaara paused, not wanting to admit that he bought them just for skate night and to try to impress Lee, “and I needed new shoes.”

Lee nodded, smiling down at Gaara. “Yours are red, mine are green. Complimentary colors!” Lee laughed, staring down at their shoes. 

“Yeah, they are. I guess we compliment each other nicely,” Gaara said, rubbing his arm awkwardly. 

“We do!”

They smiled at each other as Lee grabbed Gaara’s bag. 

“I suppose that I have held you up for too long. Have a wonderful night, Gaara!”

He waited until Gaara had slung the bag over his shoulder. He pulled him gently in for a hug, almost too brief for Gaara’s liking. 

“Thank you, Lee, you too.”

They parted ways, Lee skating further into the park as Gaara walked to his car. He couldn’t help but smile, forgetting his previous thoughts of staying alone to focus on his work. If Lee could continue to work on the program he had started with his girlfriend, even after she had broken his heart, Gaara knew that he was truly devoted to the kids and his career. 

Maybe being with Lee would help Gaara excel even further than what he had hoped to accomplish by himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Srsly, tho, please read ManaBanana’s college/theatre/dance au because it is one of the main reasons I am happy about my life:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/17667878/chapters/41669897  
> UGH. I LOVE IT.


	5. Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara removes the child he's been working with from their home. It doesn't go as he expects it to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my loves! This one is early this week since last week's took forever, haha! Hope you enjoy!  
> CW for drug abuse, child neglect, and panic attacks/mental breakdowns. I can't really edit the chapter to remove it, but if you'd like a summary to avoid that content, feel free to message me on tumblr under the same username and I'd be happy to help out!  
> Thank you as always to [ManaBanana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManaBanana) for reading this through for me! <3

Gaara woke up the next day with a pit growing in his stomach. He was due to pick up the child later that night. Everything was coordinated. He would be accompanied by two police officers who would have other units on the ready if needed. Gaara hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that. He truly did like the parents and wanted the best for them, but he wanted the best for the child as well, and unfortunately, the parents weren’t that. 

As Gaara prepared himself for the day, he tried to breathe deeply, focusing on the things that centered him. He took extra time to water his succulents, pulling off any dead parts and ruffling the soil to allow better drainage. He breathed in the warm air coming off his tea, the gentle smell of mint filling his nose. He put on one of his comfiest sweaters, one that would keep him warm with the promise of rain later in the day, but that would also help him look professional. He also knew that having something comforting to hold onto would help the child calm down a little easier. Reluctantly, Gaara grabbed his umbrella and began to head out the door.

“Gaara, wait,” he heard Kankuro say, stumbling out of his room after him. Gaara paused and turned to look at him.

“Hey, I just wanted to let you know. I’m really proud of you, kid. You’ve really grown. I know today is going to be really rough on you. Let’s go get dinner after, okay?”

Gaara paused, looking up at his older brother. He knew Kankuro loved him, but he had never expressed his feelings like this. It overwhelmed Gaara with a sense of love and also deep responsibility.

“Thank you, Kankuro. I’m proud of you as well.”

Kankuro snorted, reaching over to tousle Gaara’s red, wavy hair before pulling him into a hug. “Love you, squirt.”

“Love you, too,” Gaara mumbled into Kankuro’s oversized hoodie.

Gaara stepped outside, gripping onto the insides of his sweater sleeves attempting to calm himself. When he was younger, he would often get so anxious that his nails would bite into the palms of his hands, breaking the skin. Though it had gotten much better, there was always the risk of this happening again. Luckily, the thick fabric of his shirt prevented his nails from going too far. He continued his breathing exercises as he got in his car and began to drive to work.

As he grew more anxious, he grew increasingly upset with himself. Cases like these normally didn’t affect him this much. He was able to fully separate himself from the situation, caring for the child and getting them to a safe area. There were a few cases that would haunt him for days after they rescued the child, but there was never a lead up like this. His worries about Kankuro and the fact that he hadn’t seen Temari outside of work in a while had really taken a toll on him. He loved his siblings more than anyone else in the world, they being the first ones to reconnect with him after their troubled childhood. At first they had wanted nothing to do with him, he being a sad reminder of what had happened the day they were rescued from their father’s house. But they were all able to heal eventually, allowing them to form healthy relationships with each other.

As Gaara drove, he passed a kid scootering down the sidewalk. His thoughts returned to Lee, another source of his creeping anxiety. Not that it was Lee himself. Gaara wanted to give his program a fair evaluation, but he found himself increasingly drawn toward the brightness Lee projected every time he was around. He made Gaara feel warm in a way that only his siblings and a few of the children he worked with could. And Gaara didn’t know what to do about it.

As he pulled into the parking lot of his work, his thoughts continued to race, jumping between the child, his siblings, and Lee. He plopped into his desk chair, wanting to do nothing more than to dive into the stack of paperwork he had been neglecting with his two big projects happening. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like he would be able to do so.

“Gaara! How are you?” Matsuri said, knocking at his office door. Gaara felt his blood spike with anxiety.

“I’m fine, Matsuri. What did you need?” Gaara said, trying to be polite, but short. He made a mental note to close, and possibly lock, his office door when she left.

“Well, I know that you’ve been working on some other projects lately, and I was wondering if you needed me to go get that kid for you later?” she asked, leaning her elbows onto Gaara’s desk and staring at him. “I really don’t mind.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I have been working on this case for months and would prefer to go myself.”

Matsuri rolled her eyes, standing up straight.

“All you do is work, huh? I’ve been so nice, offering to do your work and trying to get you to go do something with me for the longest time and you are too pig-headed to realize it!”

“Matsuri, I knew what you were trying to do and I was deflecting your advances as kindly as I could,” Gaara said, snapping at her. “Besides, we are here to work, not to date. Please leave my office, I have children that need me and I’m sure you do as well.”

Matsuri glared down at Gaara before turning around, stomping out of his office. Gaara sighed, sitting back in his chair as she slammed the door. He hadn’t tried to upset her or yell at her. But she was relentless. She never backed down, even with the obvious disinterest Gaara displayed. He teared up a little, his anxious mind no longer able to calm his racing fears and worries.

Before the tears could spill onto his cheeks, he scrubbed them hard, causing little stars to pop up under his eyelids. He grew angrier at himself, shoving his body up to stand as he paced his office, his hands raking aggressively through his hair.

“Calm the fuck down,” he growled, sitting down and rolling himself under the desk. He knew he was slipping back into old habits, ones that offered no sympathy or compassion to his own feelings, but the anxiety and dread had grown to be too much. He rolled his feelings up and squashed them down into the pit of his stomach, something to be dealt with later that night, or, not at all.

The day passed quickly, Gaara focusing on the tasks he had neglected. He allowed himself little breaks, pausing only once to get a drink of water. The lunch Kankuro had packed him lay forgotten in his bag, the little smiley face crumpled on the brown paper. When it was time to leave, he straightened his sweater, grabbed his umbrella, and left. Normally he would stop and see Temari to calm some of his nerves before going, but she was out for the day at a doctor’s appointment. Gaara didn’t want to worry her, anyway.

The drive to the child’s house was long, each mile further accentuating Gaara’s mood. He listened to nothing but the sound of cars passing by, doing his best to focus on the task ahead of him. A mile before they got to the house, Gaara pulled over, meeting the police that would be assisting him in saving the child.

“Hi, Gaara,” one with short, brown hair called.

“Hello, Yamato,” Gaara said, swallowing and taking a deep breath to calm himself. “Who is your partner?”

“My name is Sai,” said a pale man standing next to Yamato. Gaara gave a quick nod before pulling out his notes.

“The child we are getting today is named Asahi. He is around seven years old. I have been working with him and his parents for about four months.”

“They’ve been with you that long and they haven’t managed to get their act together?” Yamato asked, scratching the back of his head.

“Addiction is a long, uphill battle,” Gaara said, his lips pressing into a thin line. “It’s very unfortunate, too. They really wanted to keep him, but he has been found on numerous occasions either completely alone, or missing from school for days because the parents couldn’t get down from their high.”

“Poor kid,” Yamato mumbled, Sai staring blankly at Gaara. “Well, let’s go do this then. Gaara, is there any danger of the parents getting violent?”

Gaara shook his head, as his hands began to tremble slightly. “I highly doubt it. Most likely they will be too out of it to even understand what’s happening.”

Yamato nodded and looked over at Sai, hooking his thumb back towards the police car. “Let’s go.”

Gaara followed the two policemen, doing his best to calm himself before the hardest part began. He thought of his succulents at home, how well they were doing. He thought of Kankuro and how hard he laughed when he knocked into the helmet display at the skate shop. He thought of Shikamaru and Temari bickering while they held hands walking down the street. And he thought of Lee, his brilliant smile flashing at Gaara whenever he said something, the comfort his strong arms brought him as they were wrapped around his back. The way he cried for his kids, how much he cared about them. 

Gaara straightened in his seat, his brow furrowed in determination. He was going to be strong for Asahi. He owed him that much. If he needed to, he could break down later, but for now he needed to be strong for the neglected little boy he had been working with.

As they pulled up to the house, Gaara put his bag in his trunk, taking nothing to the door except for the official letter stating that Asahi would now be placed under Gaara’s temporary care and would be moving into the foster system as soon as possible. As he walked up to the front porch flanked by Sai and Yamato, he fell into his element. An authoritative compassion overcame him, and his heart calmed. He rapped on the door, waiting a few moments before calling out.

“Asahi? Are you in there? This is Gaara. Please open up.”

Small footsteps were heard running to the door. After a few seconds of struggling with the lock, Asahi threw the door open. His hair was wild and unkempt, dirt streaked across his face with a line that disrupted it where his tears had washed his cheeks. 

“Gaara? What are you doing here?” Asahi asked, his voice quiet.

“I’ve come to take you somewhere else, Asahi. Are your parents home?”

Asahi stepped back, chewing on his fingers nervously. He glanced back at the policemen, a wariness evident. He unfortunately had one too many run ins with the police thanks to his parents.

“They’re sleeping in the kitchen,” he said, tiptoeing quietly further into the house. Gaara followed, gently waving his hand to have Sai and Yamato follow him.

“Mr. and Mrs. Sato?” Gaara called, following Asahi.

As they walked further into the kitchen, a terrible smell filled Gaara’s nose. He remained stone faced, looking over the counters at moldy food and dishes that hadn’t been done in weeks. His eyes came to rest at the center of the kitchen, Asahi’s parents draped over their dining table, hypodermic needles and white powder remnants laying next to them.

Gaara’s stomach curled, both the smell and the scene affecting him. Images from his childhood rapidly passed between his eyes, making him slightly dizzy and further setting in the nausea forming in the pit of his stomach. He attempted to even his breathing, working through the stench and further pushing his panic down. 

“Mrs. Sato,” he said, gently nudging the woman. She seemed slightly more conscious than her husband, her glazed eyes struggling to focus on Gaara. He slid the paper over the table to her, careful not to touch any of the needles. “We’re taking Asahi. He is no longer safe here. He will come with me and will be put into the foster care system. I am sorry that things didn’t work out.”

Asahi’s mom blinked slowly, registering only half of Gaara’s words in her inebriated state. “Gaara?” she gurgled, her voice thick and low. “What are you… doing here?”

Gaara nudged the paper closer to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder blade, firm but comforting. “We have to take Asahi. He isn’t safe here anymore.” He turned back to the boy, leaving the mom at the table. “Asahi, let’s go get some of your stuff packed up, okay? We’re going to take you away from here for a while.”

Asahi nodded hesitantly, running off down the hall to his room. Gaara followed, looking back at Yamato. He nodded at Gaara, his face set in a serious expression. Gaara had worked with him before, he knew what to do and how to keep the child from the parent’s outbursts as best as possible. He glanced briefly at Sai, unsure of how well he handled these types of cases. But, he trusted Yamato, and Yamato seemed to trust Sai. 

As Gaara walked down the hall, he heard the loud sound of a chair scraping against the ground. Asahi’s mom seemed to be sobering up at the realization that she was losing her child. Gaara quickened his pace, worried about the conditions becoming unsafe.

“Asahi, do you have a bag we can put your stuff in?”

The small boy grabbed a tattered duffle bag from his closet, opening his dresser drawers to show Gaara his clothes. He grabbed as many clothes as would fit into the small bag, tucking in a week’s worth of outfits as well as a few pairs of pajamas for sleeping. He put the closest pair of shoes he could find into the bag, not wanting to take the time to put them on now, knowing that it was imperative that they leave as soon as possible. His foster family would supply him with new clothes once he was placed, but for now it was best to ensure that he had a good rotation of clothes, especially if it took a bit for them to place him. Gaara had a few homes lined up, so he wasn’t too worried about that happening, but, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

“Okay, Asahi, time to go,” Gaara said, as he heard further scuffling down the hall. Sobbing was coming from the kitchen, Asahi’s mom wailing as she tried to get past Yamato and Sai to her son. “Is there anything else you would like to bring?” Gaara asked, trying to direct Asahi’s attention away from his mother. Asahi shook his head, continuing to chew on his dirty fingers.

“Is my mama gonna be okay?” he asked, his voice small as he stared at Gaara. Gaara knelt down in front of him, his face forming a small, reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry about her, Asahi. We need to make sure you’re safe. Is it okay if I carry you?”

Asahi removed his hand from his mouth, lifting his arms up to Gaara. He grabbed him under his arms, picking him up with ease and setting him on his hip. The boy clung to the soft, warm fabric, nosing slightly into Gaara’s shoulder. Gaara held his head close to him, wanting to protect him from the scene that was about to play out.

As he walked further down the hall, the sounds of the woman crying grew louder. Now she was also beating her hand onto her husband, attempting to wake him up.

“Get up! They’re taking our baby! You piece of shit, how can you just sit there while they take our son?!”

Yamato gently grabbed her hand, stopping her from hitting her husband. “Ma’am, please calm down. Sit down, everything is going to be okay. This is why it’s so important to get better. You need to get better for your son,” Yamato said gently, pulling the woman away from where her husband lay slumped over the table. She gripped his uniform, pressing her face into it as she sobbed. He patted her back gently, empathy filling his eyes. Sai stood strategically in front of the kitchen’s entry way, blocking the scene from the child in Gaara’s arms. 

Gaara stepped outside, still holding Asahi. It had begun to gently rain, little droplets falling on their head. Gaara’s shoulder was soaked in Asahi’s silent tears. He walked quickly to his car, opening the door and placing Asahi on the back seat with his duffel bag on the floor. He buckled him in gently, taking the time to rub his thumb over Asahi’s cheeks where his tears had begun to dry. Gaara had seen him in similar situations before, but he had never cried.

“Gaara?” Asahi asked, his voice tiny.

“Yes?”

“What did I do wrong?”

Gaara’s heart shattered. This situation was all too familiar, kids being taken from their parents placing all of the guilt on themselves. Most of the time they held their parents in high regard despite the neglect and abuse they had been put through. They could never imagine that it was their parent’s fault in the first place and, unfortunately, the kids were left to face the consequences. He had felt similar guilt when his dad was taken that day. He was worried that his dad was in jail because of him, that his mother had died because of him. It had taken years of therapy to get past it, to realize that his mother’s death wasn’t his fault and that his dad had suffered at the hands of his own consequences. Unfortunately, his children had suffered too.

“Asahi, you look at me,” Gaara said, waiting for the child to look at him with big dark eyes, eyes that reminded him of Lee’s. “This is not your fault. None of this. Unfortunately, your parents have made some bad decisions. I’m sorry you have to be the one to take the punishment. Things are going to get better, though, Asahi. I promise you that.” Though Asahi didn’t fully understand the words he was saying, he felt comforted by them. They made Gaara sound like he knew exactly what was going to happen, and for a child living with uncertainty, that was all he needed, something stable to stand on until he could fully comprehend and move past his trauma. But, for now, he had Gaara.

Gaara shut the door gently, moving to the back of the car. He opened the trunk, pulling a box closer to him. Inside he had a stash of stuffed animals bought specifically for these situations. He pulled out a small teddy bear and brought it back over to Asahi’s door.

“When I was taken from my dad, I was given a bear similar to this. He helped me through my first night away. I think he’ll help you, too.”

Asahi eagerly grabbed the bear, pulling it tightly against his chest. Gaara smiled sadly, bending down to grab his shoes from the bag. He put them on the small boy, patting his feet and making him smile. As he finished, the sound of footsteps came from behind, putting Gaara on edge. He whirled around, panicked that the parents had come out. But it was just Sai, his face as blank as it had been before. He brushed past Gaara, kneeling on the wet ground to look at Asahi.

“I was in a foster home when I was younger,” he said, his voice matter of fact. “It was very scary at first. But I learned to cope. And now I am an adult, and my life is much better.” Sai smiled at the child, patting him on the leg. He straightened, his face blank once again as he walked back toward the house. 

“Sai, please let Yamato know that I am taking Asahi to his temporary residence now. I will be sure to get in contact with the both of you tomorrow to follow up on what happened with his parents for my report.”

Sai turned to Gaara, nodding briefly before disappearing back into the house. Gaara double checked Asahi’s seat belt before sliding behind the wheel of the car. He adjusted his rear view mirror, making sure he could keep an eye on the small boy. Asahi stared out the window as they drove, tracing the rain drops with his finger as they fell down the glass. After a few moments, his eyes began to droop, his head bobbing onto the car door. After almost half an hour of driving, Gaara pulled into the temporary residence. If a foster family had been put through to get him, they would be there. If not, he would stay the night there under the care of some of the social workers stationed for this exact position.

Gaara got out of the car quietly, pulling Asahi into his arms and juggling the bear as well as his bag. Knowing he would be there soon, one of the workers ran out, holding the door open for him. 

“Gaara. Did everything go okay?” they asked quietly. Gaara bit back a sigh, not willing to process the emotions he had experienced from the day just yet.

“It went as well as we could have expected.”

Noting the sadness in his voice, the employee nodded sympathetically, briefly placing a hand on the shoulder that wasn’t currently occupied by Asahi. He walked into the main lobby of the office, sitting in a chair and adjusting the child so he could continue to sleep. After a few minutes, one of the other employees walked over, two women following quickly behind.

“Akiara, Kimi. I didn’t know you were taking in another foster child,” Gaara said, his brow scrunched in confusion.

“Neither did we!” Kimi replied with a tired laugh.

“We heard there was an emergency and, knowing how well things went with Raito, we made a quick decision to help out where we could.” Akiara smiled down at Gaara, her hand tightly gripped by her wife’s. “Is this Asahi?”

Gaara nodded, pulling the boy back and gently waking him up. When the boy was semi-conscious, Gaara turned him gently in his lap. “Asahi, these are my friends Akiara and Kimi. They are going to be your foster parents now. They have a little girl named Raito, who is also a foster child. She is a little bit younger than you. Do you think you can be a good foster brother to her?”

Asahi nodded shyly, rubbing his eyes as he looked up at the two women. Kimi shook his hand formally, making him giggle. Akiara took his hand and talked with him as Kimi went to the front to finalize paperwork and prepare to take him home. Gaara followed, also having a few documents to sign.

“Are you doing okay, Gaara?” she asked, her focus on the paper in front of her.

“I am fine. Why?” he responded, filling out the report of the removal. He would give a more detailed report when he got into the office, but specific numbers were needed.

“You seem sad. I know this isn’t easy for you. I don’t know who would find this easy. You are very strong. Please make sure to take care of yourself. Don’t carry this alone. Find someone to depend on and share your grief with them.” She paused, looking over at her wife who was talking to Asahi in silly voices. “Kimi saved my life. I hope that you’ll be able to find someone like that, too.”

Gaara nodded at her, unsure of what to say. The emotions and anxiety that had been bubbling inside of him all day pushed dangerously close to the surface, threatening to spill out. Gaara quickly finished his paperwork, handing Asahi’s bag and bear to the two women. He knelt down next to the boy and placed a gentle hand on his head, ruffling his hair as Kankuro did to him.

“Be good, okay? I will be sure to visit. Just remember. This wasn’t your fault. These two women will take good care of you.”

Asahi fell into Gaara, wrapping his tiny arms around his neck. He rubbed his back soothingly, knowing the torment and mixed emotions that would plague him tonight, and over the next few years. He hoped that it would pass sooner rather than later, but knew that he would need to go through his own healing process, taking the time that he needed.

Gaara watched them run to their car, the rain pouring even heavier than it had before. Gaara quickly followed after them, his breathing quickening as he ran. He quickly opened his car door, sliding into the front seat as he watched them jump into their own car. As soon as he sat down, the weight of the day came crashing down on him. Anxiety bubbled in his chest causing him to hyperventilate, noiseless tears streaming down his face. He turned the car on, trying, and failing, to compose himself. He needed to pick up Kankuro and get home quickly where he would be safe during his panic attack.

He pulled out onto the road, the rain beating down on the windshield as the wipers squeaked across the glass. Tears continued to fill his eyes, spilling over and causing Gaara to swipe haphazardly at his face. His rough, uneven breathing continued, separated by periods of not breathing at all, causing a stabbing pain to spread through his chest. He continued like this for a while, passing by his office, wishing that Temari was still there. As he neared the park, his vision began to blur, the lack of food and oxygen causing him to get light headed. He quickly pulled onto the shoulder of the road, his shaky hands turning the ignition off. He attempted to pull his phone out to text Kankuro, or Temari, or someone, but he couldn’t focus. His head swam with what had happened, the mother screaming for her child, Asahi quietly wondering what he had done to deserve this. Memories of his own childhood flashed between them, furthering his panic attack and leaving him to grip the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He closed his eyes, leaning back against the headrest as his vision swam once again. He slipped into unconsciousness, semi aware of the buzzing of his phone as the rain beat on his windshield.

Gaara was pulled into blackness, a welcome rest from the flashbacks and anxieties he had been experiencing the past few days. The rain continued to pound on the car, chilling the air and causing Gaara to shiver in his sleep. After a few blissful hours of quiet nothingness, Gaara was roused from his unconscious state, shaking and cold, to the sound of pounding on his car window and a muffled voice.

“Gaara?”


	6. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara gets rescued!

“Gaara?”

Gaara blinked, his eyes raw and stinging from the panic attack he had just hours previous. He turned to look out the window at whoever had woken him up, a sharp pain shooting up his neck from sleeping at a weird angle in the seat of his car.

“Lee?”

There Lee stood, frantically knocking on his window, his dark hair clinging to his face, soaked from the rain. Gaara jumped, finally realizing what was happening, and unlocked his car door, opening it for Lee.

“Gaara, are you okay? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“What?” Gaara asked, his brow scrunched in confusion.

“I will explain in a moment. Do you think it would be okay if I sat inside? It is very cold out here. Of course, I do not want to ruin your car. Do not worry actually I-”

Gaara gripped the fabric of his shirt, pulling him into the car. Lee climbed over Gaara to get into the passenger seat, neither realizing how complicated they had made it. Gaara closed the car door, slightly muffling the sound of rain outside. He turned to Lee who was dripping wet, his black t-shirt clinging to the dips of muscle in his arms and chest.

“What are you doing here?” Gaara asked, his voice small.

“Kankuro became very worried when you didn’t pick him up. He attempted to call, but was unable to reach you. Neji was with him at the shop and he called me, thinking you might have been at the skate program. When I confirmed that I had not seen you, Kankuro panicked. He has been looking everywhere for you, and I began to help in the search. Oh! I should call them. Please, give me one moment.”

Gaara nodded as Lee took out his phone. He considered calling Kankuro, but not wanting to possibly wake him up or further worry him with his inability to properly communicate, he chose to let Lee relay the information. He had panic attacks frequently when he was younger, each one causing his siblings a lot of worry. He didn’t want to put them through that again.

“Yes, he is right here with me! I found him asleep on the side of the road in his car. I am not sure, I have not talked to him much yet. Yes. Okay. Alright, yes, I will take him back to my house and ensure he is okay. If Kankuro wakes up, please let him know as well. Goodnight, Neji. I love you!” At the declaration of love, Gaara heard an audible sigh on the other line, causing Lee to laugh. Though Gaara had grown to love the sound of Lee’s laugh, it caused pain to shoot through his head, a migraine settling in caused by his exhaustion. Lee hung up the phone, turning to face Gaara.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Lee asked, his large, dark eyes full of concern as he stared at Gaara. He swallowed thickly, his throat sore from sobbing.

“I’m fine,” Gaara said, nodding slightly. “I just… got tired. I didn’t want to fall asleep at the wheel and so I pulled over.”

Lee looked back at him, his thick eyebrows pulled together. “I am sorry, Gaara, but I do not believe that. Please talk to me. I happen to be an excellent listener!” he said, winking at Gaara.

Gaara sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel. “It’s kind of a long story. I don’t want to bore you, and you’re dripping wet. You’re going to get sick. Let me drive you home.”

“I will do my best not to get sick! If I do, I will make 5,000 laps around the park on my board!”

Lee brought a determined fist up, his eyes staring off into the distance at the promise of a challenge. He then sneezed loudly, causing Gaara to jump. 

“Er, perhaps we should head back to my house. But, please, allow me to drive. I know you are not telling the full truth and that it is probably not safe for you to be behind the wheel.”

“You know how to drive?” Gaara asked.

“I do! I have a car at home, but I normally prefer to use my skateboard. It is excellent exercise!” Lee said, jumping out of the passenger seat and running around the car in the rain to get to the driver’s side. Gaara absentmindedly wished he would have slid over Gaara again like he did to get into the car. He opened Gaara’s door, gently nudging him over. Gaara slid to the passenger seat as Lee sat behind the wheel, adjusting his position to fit his long legs. Once he had buckled, he turned to Gaara who was staring blankly out the window, his breathing soft and slow. Lee smiled gently, reaching over to grab Gaara’s seat belt and buckle him in. 

Surprised at the sudden tenderness in Lee’s movements, he stared at him, Lee’s face inches away from his own. Once the belt had clicked into place, Lee pulled back, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“I do not know what happened, but I am sorry you are hurting so much. Though you have not admitted to it, I know you are struggling. You can stay with me tonight. Kankuro is with Neji. Please, let me take care of you. You have worked so hard to take care of others and now it is your turn to be looked after.”

Gaara’s eyes stung as they filled with tears. He swallowed, attempting to suppress his sudden display of emotions.

“Okay.”

Lee put the car into drive, carefully pulling out of their place next to the road as the rain began to lighten slightly. They drove in relative silence, the only disruption being the sound of Lee gently humming. Every once in a while, he would shoot a concerned look at Gaara who pretended to ignore it. He hated it when people were worried about him. The nervous glances only reminded him of his childhood, how everyone would react to his outbursts. He hoped that Lee didn’t view him that way. After a few minutes of driving, they pulled into an apartment complex. They passed the apartment buildings, heading for the slightly larger condominiums towards the back. Lee pulled into one, parking Gaara’s car behind his own, and turned the car off. 

They both sat in silence for a moment. Lee then cleared his throat, handing Gaara his keys and unbuckling him. After he undid his belt, he ran to Gaara’s side, opening the door and offering a hand to Gaara. He looked at it for a few seconds knowing he didn’t really need help. But Lee did want to take care of him, supposedly….

So he grabbed his hand, feeling Lee’s strong fingers wrap around his own as he stood. Lee closed and locked the car door before heading up the sidewalk to his front door.

“Welcome to my house!” he said cheerfully, his fingers still wound with Gaara’s. “I wish you would have been able to visit under better circumstances. Had I known you would be coming, I would have prepared you a meal. Though I suppose I could still do so, it isn’t too late yet…” Lee unlocked the door, turning on the light to the entryway as they stepped inside, finally safe from the rain.

“Lee, please don’t worry about it. I am intruding enough as it is, please don’t bother yourself too much.”

“Gaara! It is not a bother at all! Please do not say that, I am very glad to have you in my home.”

“So much for professionalism,” Gaara said, exhaling as he did so.

“I believe we are far past just fellow professionals!” Lee said, shooting Gaara a blinding smile as they walked down the hall.

“So, then… what are we?”

Lee stopped abruptly in the middle of the hall. “Well. I suppose— I suppose we are friends.”

Gaara wasn’t sure how his heart could have sank any further than it had the day before. But it continued to dip, his chest clenching from disappointment and crushed hope. 

“Very good friends,” Lee said, squeezing his hand and gently smiling at him, his dimple accentuated in the low light. Gaara’s sinking heart settled slightly, a hope somewhat rekindled. Even if they could never be together, he at least knew that he had a good friend that would be there for him if he needed it, even if he wished more than anything it could be more.

“Alright! Here is the plan. We will get you in a warm shower, I will brew you some tea, and then we will get you settled into bed,” Lee said, his words accentuated by the sound of drips coming from the water on his clothes.

“Please, I really don’t want to be a bother, Lee, I’d be happy to just sleep on the cou-”

Gaara was cut off with a gentle hand over his mouth.

“Gaara, please do not argue. I am very glad you are here. This big space gets lonely sometimes,” Lee said, looking around the room as he removed his hand from Gaara’s mouth. “Tenten, my foster sister, insists on paying for it each month reasoning that she has the bigger salary and can afford it.” Lee laughed. “She comes to stay sometimes, but it has been less and less recently. Oh! Listen to me, carrying on about my own sorrows when we haven’t even discussed yours yet. Please follow me to the bathroom.”

Lee pulled Gaara further into the space, past the kitchen and down a side hall. He found himself in front of a small, but well designed bathroom, decorated with little turtles on the sink and dotted on the shower curtain.

“Er, it is rather childish but… it will have to do.”

“Thank you,” Gaara whispered, looking up at Lee. 

“Of course, Gaara,” Lee said, tucking a stray strand of Gaara’s hair behind his ear. “I will bring you some clothes to change into as well as some extra towels. Feel free to use whatever you like!”

At that, Gaara was ushered into the bathroom. Once the door was shut and locked, Gaara let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the door and sliding to the ground. Out in the kitchen he could hear Lee fiddling with the tea pot and placing mugs out onto the counter. His heart ached at the domesticity of it, for how eager he was to be able to spend time with Lee like this every night. Not wanting to further upset himself, he stepped away from the door and looked into the mirror.

He was a mess. His hair was standing up straight from where he had pushed restless fingers through, attempting to grip back onto reality. His eyes were swollen and puffy, his dark circles accentuating the red around them. His lips were chapped and slightly swollen from the dehydration caused by so much crying. He used his fingers to gently brush through his hair before removing his wrinkled sweater, discarding his clothes on the floor. He stepped into the shower— Lee’s shower, he reminded himself— and turned the water on as hot as he could bear it. He allowed it to run over him, helping to relax and ease his mind. He cupped his hands over his ears, the pounding of the water on his head creating a white noise that helped center him back into a more stable mindset. After soaking in the hot water for a few minutes and attempting to rub out the kink in his neck, he opened his eyes and surveyed the bottles in front of him.

A matching shampoo and conditioner set, body wash, and what seemed to be a face wash sat on the shelf in front of him. He hesitated, not wanting to use any of Lee’s stuff, but knew that Lee would be upset if he didn’t. So, he opened the shampoo and squeezed out a generous amount, lathering it through his red hair and massaging it in. His scalp tingled, the gentle scent of spearmint and eucalyptus filling his nose as he rinsed the shampoo out. He finished washing his body using the same soap Lee did, taking in the smell he had grown to associate with skate nights when Lee would sit by him on the bench. As he finished rinsing his body, he heard a gentle knock on the door. He turned off the water, placing the things he had used back onto the shelf.

“Gaara? Please feel free to continue showering, I am just going to step in very quickly with your towel and change of clothes! Is that alright?”

Gaara swallowed, the thought of Lee being in the same room as him while he was naked sending his blood pressure way up.

“That’s fine,” Gaara said, focusing hard on the printed plastic turtle in front of him. As an afterthought, he added, “thank you, Lee.”

He heard the lock click gently, the air moving as Lee stepped in. “So sorry! I will just set them on the counter! I have some tea and snacks prepared for you, feel free to come out at any time! Or if you would just like to go to bed, that is alright too!”

Gaara nodded forgetting that Lee couldn’t see him. Lee stepped out wordlessly, setting the lock back on as he left. Gaara opened the curtain of the bathroom to see a neat pile of clothes on top of a towel. As he set the clothes aside and grabbed the towel, he realized how warm it was. Lee had stuck it in the dryer while Gaara was showering. If he had had any tears left, they would have begun welling up in his eyes. He wrapped the towel around his shoulders allowing the warmth to seep into his body. He toweled himself off, taking extra care to clean up any water he had gotten on the floor. He slipped on the green hoodie Lee had given him, the same one he had been wearing at the park earlier that week, as well as a pair of soft, black joggers. He pulled the drawstring tight around him and rolled up the pant legs slightly as Lee’s clothes were a bit too big for him. After quickly finger brushing his hair and taking a deep breath, he grabbed the soft towel and exited the bathroom.

He padded into the kitchen, his slightly damp feet slapping on the hardwood floors. Lee stood at the counter, busying himself pouring hot water over the tea bags. At the sound of Gaara entering, he looked up, his large eyes wide in surprise.

“Gaara! You look so small in my clothes!” Lee said, laughing gently. Gaara blushed, pleased at the fact that he was wearing Lee’s things. “Please come sit down. I have prepared you some peppermint tea as well as some hummus and chopped vegetables! Unfortunately, I do not have an extra toothbrush which is why I chose the mint tea… I am so sorry,” Lee finished, covering his face in his hands. Gaara stood in front of him, pulling his hands gently down to stare at him. 

“Lee, you have already gone above and beyond. Thank you so much,” he placed a hand on his shoulder, but removed it quickly as it was still very wet and freezing cold. “Lee, you need to go change. You’re still wet. You spent so much time taking care of me that you forgot to take care of yourself.”

Lee stepped back timidly, blushing. “Ah, I guess I got too caught up in things and forgot to change. My apologies.”

“Lee, you apologize too much. Thank you for the food and the tea. Please go change your clothes.”

“Right! Please wait a moment, I will go put on my pajamas. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen! I will be back soon, you will not even know I am gone,” Lee said with a wink. Gaara smiled as he walked away and turned his attention to the spread on the counter. His stomach grumbled as he reached for a sliced red bell pepper, dipping it generously in the hummus Lee had laid out. He sighed in content, looking around the room as he continued to munch on the assortment of vegetables Lee had prepared. 

Lee’s kitchen was very clean and homey. He had put up what seemed like every colored drawing on the fridge he had gotten from the kids he had worked with. Pictures of Tenten, Neji, and Lee skating hung on the wall next to a picture of Lee’s foster family. Being in his kitchen was strangely comforting. They still hadn’t known each other long, but everything associated with Lee had an automatic familiarity, one that made Gaara want to know more about him, which Lee was seemingly happy to oblige. 

Gaara picked up his mug as Lee walked back into the kitchen. Gaara choked on his drink, the sight of Lee’s tight black shirt and flannel pajamas apparently too much for his tired mind. 

“Oh, are you okay, Gaara? I am so sorry, I must have made it too hot!” Lee said, rushing over and rubbing Gaara on the back. 

“I’m fine, Lee,” Gaara said, gasping for air. He coughed a few more times, taking another drink once he stopped choking. Lee gave him one final pat on the back and walked to the opposite side of the counter, leaning on his elbows as he grabbed a carrot off the plate. 

“How was your shower?” Lee asked.

“Oh, it was fine. Thank you for taking such good care of me.” 

Lee beamed as he dipped another carrot into the hummus. “Of course! Thank you so much for allowing me to.” He paused, thoughtfully chewing. “I do not want to pressure you to talk about what happened. But, please know that I am more than willing to listen.”

“I… I think I would like to talk about it,” Gaara said, swirling his tea bag around in his mug. “You would understand better than anyone else.”

“I will do my best to help where I can! Shall we sit on the couch? I can put the food away!”

Gaara nodded, standing from his place on the bar stool. He took his mug to the sink, pulling out the tea bag to be thrown away before swirling water around his cup. He helped Lee put the vegetables into small sandwich baggies, Lee grabbing one from each and shoving them in his mouth before they were put in the fridge making Gaara laugh. Once everything had been cleaned up, they sat down on the couch. Gaara sat with his legs crossed under him, his body turned toward Lee who sat in a similar position, his head resting in his hand. Gaara took a moment to collect his thoughts before telling Lee what happened. 

“Well—”

“Hold on one moment!” Lee said, jumping off from the couch. He ran down the hall leaving Gaara on the couch, very confused. He returned a few moments later carrying a large, soft blanket. 

“I am so sorry to have interrupted, but I do not want you to get cold!” He sat back on the couch, covering the bottom of Gaara in the blanket. He sat back where he had been previously, rubbing his arms slightly.

“Lee, if anything, you’re the one who is cold. You should use it.”

“Well,” Lee said, twiddling his thumbs and staring at his hands, “we could… share it?”

Gaara gave him a small smile in response, pulling the blanket up and over his legs, positioning it in a way so it covered Lee’s as well. Lee scooted closer to him on the couch, smiling encouragingly as he waited for Gaara to speak.

“Well, I’ve been working with a young boy and his parents for some time now. They had been really struggling with drugs, but they love Asahi a lot, so I did my best to help them to sobriety. Unfortunately, they were unable to get better. I had removed him from his parents house last night, which is where I was coming from when I pulled over to the side of the road.” Gaara drew a shuddery breath. “He is with Raito’s moms now and will be much better off. But his mom was devastated. It also triggered some rather… unpleasant flashbacks from my childhood.”

Lee’s expression was sympathetic, but he didn’t interrupt. Gaara continued. “When I was twelve, my siblings and I were removed from our home. Our father was very abusive and also had a lot of problems with drugs, similar to a lot of cases we both work on. My mother died giving birth to me, so I never knew her. Therapy helped and my siblings and I are very close now. But, unfortunately, this case struck a strong chord with me at a time when I was already struggling and I wasn’t able to handle it as I normally would. I had a panic attack on the way home and couldn’t calm down enough to drive safely. When I pulled over I continued to hyperventilate and eventually passed out,” Gaara concluded, his eyes watching his hands pick at the blanket. “And that’s when you found me.”

He looked up to see Lee crying softly, his expression filled with hurt. He reached over to Gaara, gently pulling him to squeeze him into a tight hug. Gaara loosely wrapped his arms around him, his face finding a home in the crook of Lee’s neck. They sat in their embrace for a bit longer before Lee gave a watery laugh, leaning back as he let go of Gaara.

“You smell like me! I like it.”

Gaara blushed, staring at Lee as he smiled at him.

“I am so sorry that happened, Gaara. With both the case and your childhood. You are so wonderful. You deserve to be treated with the same amount of care and consideration you give others. I know that Asahi will be very grateful to you, and hopefully his parents if they manage to set their lives back on the correct path.” Lee’s eyebrows drew together in determination. “You did what you needed to for the betterment of his life. That is all that can be asked of you.”

Gaara nodded at Lee who smiled in return. He put his hands together, rubbing them briskly. “You are right, I am very cold!” he said, laughing.

Gaara grabbed his hands in his own, doing his best to warm them up. Lee stared at their joined hands, a timid smile on his face. They sat like that for a while, both of them warming up slightly from both the blanket and the close proximity.

“I suppose I should show you to your bed,” Lee said, yawning as he stretched. He stood up, grabbing the blanket. He waited for Gaara to stand, then extended his hand back toward him. He laced their fingers together and threw the blanket around Gaara’s shoulders. He pulled him down the same hallway, stopping to a room at the right of the bathroom.

“This is where Tenten stays when she is here,” Lee said, flicking the light on and pulling Gaara into the room. “But, do not worry, she does not mind! The sheets are clean, of course. There are extra blankets in the closet and you know where the bathroom is. If you get hungry at any time, please feel free to look through the fridge or the pantry! I am in the room just across from here. Please come get me if you need anything.”

Gaara let go of Lee’s hand, pulling him into a hug. “Thank you for everything,” he whispered into Lee’s chest. Lee squeezed him one last time before pulling back.

“It is no problem at all. I am glad you are here. Goodnight, Gaara!”

“Goodnight, Lee.”

He stepped out of the room, closing the door and leaving Gaara by himself. As soon as Lee had left, the exhaustion that had been chasing Gaara for weeks crashed onto him. He turned off the light, stumbling to the bed in the dark.

Pulling back the covers, Gaara slid under the warm blanket, the extra one Lee had left him staying circled around him. He slid further into the bed, sinking his head into the pillow. He absentmindedly realized that the rain had stopped as he slipped into unconsciousness, surrounded by the smell of Lee.

The next morning, Gaara woke up to the warm light from the morning sun filtering in through the blinds on the window. He panicked for a few seconds, forgetting where he was, but relaxed when he remembered he was in Lee’s house.

Wait. Lee.

His cheeks immediately reddened, remembering the night before. He had been so close to him on the couch, their legs brushing gently as they talked. Gaara gripped tighter onto the pillow he hadn’t realized he was holding as he continued to reminisce on the night. Before he could get too far into his daydream, his phone went off.

Kankuro:

“Hey dude just wanted to check to see if you’re good. Don’t worry about going into work, Tem said you could have the day off. I explained everything to her. See you at home.”

Gaara sighed in relief. Even though he loved his job, he didn’t know if he could stand to go into work that day. That also meant he didn’t have to rush home, possibly giving him more time to spend with Lee. He sent Kankuro a quick text, thanking him for talking to Temari and letting him know he was okay. As an afterthought he sent a second text, asking how the night with Neji went. He knew that Kankuro was interested in him and wanted to see if anything worth noting happened.

He laid in bed for a few more minutes, attempting to muster up the courage to go out and talk to Lee who he heard humming in the kitchen. He rolled out of bad, flattening his hair as best as he could. He padded down the hallway, Lee’s humming getting louder as Gaara’s heart began to race. He stepped into the kitchen and was greeted to a sight that made his mouth go dry.

Lee stood with his back turned to him, cooking at the stove. His hair was slightly damp from the shower and he was missing a shirt. Gaara’s eyes followed the muscles in Lee’s very well toned back. They dipped and curved down, finally disappearing into the black sweat pants he wore. Tattoos snaked their way up and over Lee’s arms, ending at his shoulders. His back was free of them, his skin bright and blank. Gaara was grateful for this fact, as it allowed him to further appreciate the training Lee had done. 

His eyes continued to trace over Lee’s back, admiring the way it flexed as he moved the pan in front of him. Realizing he had been staring for far longer than what a friend should, especially when Lee didn’t even know he was there, he cleared his throat quietly, doing his best to make a subtle entrance. Lee whipped his head around, the spatula left forgotten next to the stove. Lee bounded over, pulling Gaara against his chest in a tight embrace. Gaara wrapped his hands around Lee’s back coming into contact with the muscles he had just been admiring. Lee pulled back, keeping his hands on Gaara’s arms.

“Good morning, Gaara! I hope that you slept well,” he said, smiling brightly down at him.

“I did, thanks to your hospitality,” Gaara said. As he spoke, his eyes were drawn to a dark red tattoo on Lee’s chest right over his heart. “Love?” he said, tracing the tattoo with his finger before he fully realized what he was doing.

“O-oh, yes! That is my favorite word. The kanji for it is so beautiful,” he stammered, his cheeks burning. Gaara looked back up at him, stepping back as he noticed their proximity. He did his best to not stare down at the abs he had seen the first night he met Lee.

“I am currently working on breakfast,” Lee said, turning back to walk toward the stove. “Do you like your eggs a certain way?”

Gaara sat at the island, tucking his feet behind the metal bar on the stool. “I’ll just eat them however you make yours.” Lee nodded and grabbed the pan he had been using. He turned back to Gaara, smiling mischievously.

“Want to see something cool?”

Gaara gave Lee a small smile and nodded. Lee took the pan off the stove, turning to face Gaara. With a quick flick of his wrist, he flipped the omelette he had been cooking into the air. It did a graceful turn before descending back to its place on the pan, sizzling as the uncooked egg on the other side hit the hot metal. Gaara gave a small laugh, clapping as Lee took a bow.

“Very impressive. How did you learn to do that?”

“Being a foster child requires you to pick up many skills, as I am sure you know. It took me months to nail that. Gai would eat every failed attempt, assuring me it still tasted good.” Lee laughed, throwing his head back, his hair swishing with the motion. “He truly is an excellent, supportive father.”

“I’m glad you had someone like that.” 

Lee continued to cook, a comfortable silence filling the kitchen. After a few minutes, Gaara slid off his stool, walking over to where Lee stood at the stove.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

Lee turned, smiling at him. “That would be wonderful! Would you like to prepare the beverages? I will just have tea, but I do also have coffee or juice if you would prefer!”

“Tea sounds fine.”

Gaara got to work, pulling the kettle out from the cupboard he had seen Lee grabbing it from the night previous. He filled it with water before setting it on the burner that was free. His face flushed slightly as his arm brushed against Lee’s, a reminder of the fact that Lee still didn’t have a shirt on. Lee finished plating their food and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard, handing them over to Gaara. After plunking two tea bags in the cups and filling them with water, they sat side by side at the counter, finally digging into their meal.

They ate in relative silence as the sun continued to rise, filling the room with a bright, warming light. It highlighted Lee’s skin beautifully, his tattoos shining brightly as the vibrant colors danced in the sun. 

“Do you like my tattoos?” Lee said, smiling into his mug as he caught Gaara staring.

“What? Oh, yes. They are very beautiful.” Gaara grabbed a strawberry from his plate, tearing his eyes away from Lee’s arms.

“Thank you! They are part of my story, a youthful expression of who I am!” Lee picked up the last bite of his egg before continuing. “Do you have any tattoos?”

“I have thought about getting one before, but I haven’t yet.”

“You absolutely should! Most people worry about how permanent they are, but if you find one with meaning, it is almost impossible to regret!”

Lee smiled at Gaara before standing up and swiping his empty plate. He walked them to the sink, Gaara following quickly behind him. After a brief argument, they settled in to do the dishes together, Gaara having convinced Lee to let him help. Once the dishes were dried and put away, Lee turned to Gaara, his dimple prominent as he grinned.

“I usually take a walk every morning. You are more than welcome to stay here, but I would love for you to join me!”

“I would like that.” Gaara smiled back at him, enjoying the positivity he radiated. Though Lee didn’t fully cure him of his anxieties or stress, it was comforting to be around him. He made the world seem so simple and open, a welcome change to the way Gaara normally viewed it, hesitant and uncertain.

“Wonderful! I will go get dressed and we can head out. Would you like a change of clothes?”

Gaara shook his head, nestling further into Lee’s hoodie. Luckily, the scent hadn’t worn off it yet. It also didn’t hurt that Gaara had used Lee’s shower products.

“I think this will do just fine for a morning walk.”

Lee gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up before running down the hall. Gaara located his shoes that had been haphazardly discarded the night before, slipping them on and standing by the door to wait for Lee. He returned wearing a deep red hoodie and the same black pants.

“Look at that! We are complimentary again!”

Gaara laughed lightly. “So we are.”

They stepped out of the house, the warm sunlight that had been illuminating the kitchen earlier finally hitting Gaara’s skin. He breathed in the smell of warm grass, wet cement, and Lee. 

He could definitely get used to this. 

Lee locked the house, his keys jangling in his hoodie pocket as he slipped them into place. They began their walk, stepping in time with each other. Gaara had to jog to catch up with Lee a few times, he being too distracted by whatever he was talking about to not realize he had left Gaara behind. But each time Gaara caught back up, Lee would grab his hand, squeezing it apologetically, before dropping it back to his side. Gaara may have allowed himself to fall behind an extra time or two on purpose. 

“So,” Gaara began, filling the lull in their conversation. Lee looked over expectantly at Gaara, always enthusiastic to hear what he had to say. “You really run the program yourself?”

“Oh. Yes, I do. Not necessarily out of choice. It would have been nice to have the extra hand for a bit longer. But I like to believe that I have done okay by myself! Hopefully at some point I will be able to get someone else on board.”

Gaara nodded, glancing up at Lee. His eyebrows were drawn together to accompany his sad frown. Lee was always so expressive, Gaara wasn’t sure how he was able to make it through difficult cases without breaking down in front of the kids. 

“I’m really sorry to hear that. Do you…” Gaara paused, not wanting to pry.

“Hm?” Lee asked, looking down at him.

“Do you want to talk about it? Of course, you don’t have to. It’s a sensitive subject. But, I too like to think I’m a good listener. It comes with our line of work, I suppose.”

Lee laughed lightly. “That it does! Well, there is not much to talk about,” he said with a shrug. “We met in high school and reconnected later on, once we had both graduated college. She was in the medical field, so would soon be continuing her education and found herself with less and less time to spend with me and the skating program. She also struggled to see the benefit of the program. After a while she began to think I was childish for the way I taught and the things I did. But it no longer matters. I can see the good that I am doing and the children are happy, which makes me happy. Relationship status aside.”

Gaara nodded, his gaze down to the sidewalk beneath them. They continued to walk in silence before Lee asked, “Have you been in a relationship before?”

“I’ve never really had time for the typical social things,” Gaara said with a shrug. “I’ve worked hard to make my career the focus of my life and didn’t want anything distracting me from that.”

“Didn’t?”

Gaara paused, realizing the meaning of his word choice. He seemed to have moved past the idea that a relationship would hinder his career. And all it took was one goofy, bowl cut haired, skate boarder. Gaara looked up at Lee, smiling with the sudden realization.

“I think I’ve come to recognize that relationships are important. Both platonic and romantic. I probably won’t go seeking them out like most people would, but I’m open to the idea of one I think.”

“That is wonderful!” Lee said, placing a light hand on Gaara’s back. “Connecting with others can bring us more strength than we may have ever thought possible.”

They fell back into silence, occasionally stealing tiny glances at each other. Once they had walked around Lee’s neighborhood for a while, Gaara found himself back at Lee’s house preparing to leave.

“Are you sure it’s okay if I wear these home?” Gaara asked, standing on Lee’s porch.

“Of course! Do not even worry about it. I simply cannot have you going home in something uncomfortable! Feel free to return them whenever.” Lee winked at him, jutting his thumb out for reassurance. Gaara smiled, nodding his head.

“Thank you so much, Lee. I will see you soon, I’m sure.”

“I hope so!”

With that, Gaara walked to his car, the few personal belongings he had in hand. To some it may have seemed like a walk of shame, but Gaara didn’t feel ashamed. He felt hopeful in a way he hadn’t in a long time, like his heart was being carried for once instead of dragged. He sat in the seat of his car and pulled out his phone to call Kankuro.

“Yo, waddup, kid?” he heard Kankuro say, his voice oddly energetic.

“Hello, Kankuro. I’m heading to pick you up. Are you at the skate shop?”

“Ah, actually, yes. But don’t worry about picking me up, okay? I’m gonna pick up an extra shift today. Bringin’ in them bucks, ya know?”

Gaara paused, his brows drawn in confusion. “Well, okay. If you’re sure.”

“Yup, I’m sure! Enjoy the alone time, make sure to check in.” In between Kankuro’s words, he heard whispering in the background. “Anyway, I gotta go. Talk to you later.”

“Bye, Kankuro,” Gaara said, though his brother had already hung up. He had seemed oddly chipper for someone who had been dumped with his bitchy boss the night before. Gaara sighed. He would never fully understand his brother, so it didn’t make sense to worry too much about it. He put his car in reverse, his heart sinking slightly as he pulled out of Lee’s driveway. 

The drive was quiet and easy, most people already being at work. Gaara relished in the silence, his mind slowly untwisting itself from the tangled web of emotions he had experienced in the past few days. By the time he was home and unlocking his apartment door, he was almost fully at ease. The apartment had been cleaned, to his surprise, meaning he had the rest of the day to relax. He walked to his room, briefly considering changing and washing Lee’s clothes so he could return them to him on Monday. But, it wouldn’t hurt to wear them a bit longer, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed, friends!  
> Thank you as always to my very sweet friend, [ManaBanana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManaBanana). If you like Just Skating By, all of their fics will blow your pants off!!  
> Have a most excellent week. Take care of yourselves!


	7. The Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara asks to volunteer for the skate program.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to the amazing [ManaBanana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManaBanana) for reading through this fic. Their fic, [Vitality](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17667878/chapters/41669897) is almost over and I am very sad about it. Please check it out if you haven't already.
> 
> Here are the rest of the chapters for Just Skating By. Thank you to all of you who have read it. Your kind words are appreciated.

The rest of the weekend passed relatively quietly for Gaara. Kankuro had gotten home that night, checked on him, then went immediately to bed. He didn’t mind too much. He loved spending time with Kankuro, but it gave him the chance to continue to decompress from everything that had happened. He spent most of his time drinking tea and catching up on the many books he had been meaning to read.

Sunday night Kankuro asked him to go on a walk around their apartment complex. Gaara obliged, but couldn’t help but thinking about his walk with Lee and how their hands would brush gently every now and then, how Lee would squeeze his hand every time he would get behind. He would them promptly let go, allowing Gaara’s hand to fall back to his side, empty. Gaara frowned as he walked next to Kankuro.

“Hey, you okay?” Kankuro asked, shooting Gaara a concerned look.

“Yes. Why?”

“You just look really pissed about something. Shit, did I forget to clean something again?” Kankuro asked, his shoulders slouching dramatically. Gaara sighed, but smiled nonetheless.

“No, Kankuro, you cleaned everything you were supposed to.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you noticed because it took me like… two hours to clean the oven…”

Gaara rolled his eyes good-humoredly as they continued to walk, Kankuro spouting off all of the chores he had completed in the last twenty-four hours. They got back to the apartment just as the sun had set, each breaking off to their rooms for the night.

After setting out his outfit for the next day, Gaara got ready for bed, brushing his teeth and combing through his tangled, wavy hair. He went to his closet to pick out some pajamas, but his eyes were drawn to the green hoodie that lay in his bed next to Lee’s pants. Before he could second guess himself, he threw his normal clothes off, shrugging the borrowed ones on. 

“It’s not laundry day yet,” he murmured to himself. “There’s no harm in one more night with them on. Besides it’s… kind of cold outside.” Having successfully convinced himself, he puttered around his room for a bit longer, readying himself for the next day. Once finished, he snuggled into his blankets, the fading scent of Lee surrounding him for another restful night.

The next morning went by as every other work day would for Gaara. He no longer had a large heavy case resting on his shoulders which allowed him to breath a little. The only project he was actively working on at the moment was evaluating Lee’s skate program. 

After a quick breakfast and a goodbye to Kankuro, Gaara was headed back to the office. The rain from the weekend had cleared leaving him with a bright, sunny morning, He rolled the windows down as he drove feeling lighter and much more at peace than he had in a few weeks. He smiled as the cool air played through his hair. He knew it was going to get tangled, but he didn’t really care.

Once at work, he walked up to his floor and unlocked the door to his office. On his desk sat a small succulent, which he recognized as a spiral aloe. His brows drew down in confusion. Had Temari left it at his desk? She wasn’t really one for gifts…

He walked over to his desk, slinging his bag over the back of his chair and looking for any indication of who might have left it. Seeing there was none, he sat down, staring at the plant. A few seconds later, he heard a tiny tap at his door. 

“Good morning, Gaara.”

“Oh, good morning, Matsuri,” he said, somewhat distractedly. “Do you know who left this on my desk?”

“Oh, well, that was actually me. I heard that Thursday night was pretty difficult for you. I’m sorry. I know how much these kids mean to you. I wanted to do what I could since you keep refusing to let me help you.” She gave a small laugh. Gaara looked at her in surprise. She had offered to help him a lot, but it had always come at the price of dinner and a movie or a picnic. She had never really done something nice to just be nice.

“Oh. Well, thank you. It’s lovely. I will do my best to take good care of it.”

“I’m sure you will. Bye, Gaara!”

He lifted his hand slightly, still somewhat surprised by the display. Shaking it off, he turned to his computer, starting it up. Once it had been loaded, he opened his work chat, clicking on Temari’s name.

Gaara:  
Why did Matsuri give me a plant?

Temari:  
Good morning to you too, Gaara. I don’t know, why does Matsuri do half of the things she does?

Gaara:  
I’m not sure. Normally, when she does something nice it comes with a price. I wasn’t sure if you had bribed her or offered her anything.

Temari:  
Well, I did tell her she needed to lay off of you. You’re not the only one I’ve gotten complaints from, you know.

Gaara snorted at that. He was glad to hear that he wasn’t Matsuri’s only love interest. Gaara redirected his attention back to the computer when another message rang through.

Temari:  
Hey, can you come to my office? I wanted to meet with you about the skate program.

Gaara:  
Maybe.

He grinned as he stood up and locked his computer. Just because Temari was technically his boss didn’t mean he wouldn’t give her a hard time. Just as her younger brother, though. Never as an employee. He walked to her office, remembering to knock as he entered. This time Temari wasn’t busy typing away, She sat staring out the window of her office. As Gaara entered, she turned to face him, looking pale and sick.

“Temari, are you okay?” Gaara asked, his voice full of concern.

“I’m fine. Just a little nauseous.”

“You really need to take some time off. You over exert yourself too much.”

Temari snorted at that. “Says the guy who has a breakdown of the side of the road. Besides, if I wasn’t here all the time, who would keep you in check?”

Gaara sat down in front of her, his lips set in a firm line. Temari took a deep breath attempting to calm her stomach.

“Never mind me. Are you doing okay? Kankuro said you rested most of the weekend. What happened?”

Gaara waved a hand in front of him, doing his best to seem nonchalant. “My anxiety has been worse lately for some reason. This case was extra hard on me and everything came to the surface. Don’t worry, it didn’t affect my job. I was able to keep it in until after.”

“I know, Gaara. You never let it affect your job, which I’m grateful for,” Temari said, her voice soft. “But, please take care of yourself. It isn’t healthy to constantly shut yourself off from others. I know you have Kankuro, but he’s a mess himself.” She gave a slight laugh. “Promise me you’ll try harder to get out more? Even if it’s not with other people, you should still leave the house every once in a while. For more than just work,” she added, seeing the look on Gaara’s face.

“I promise I will do my best,” he replied, his arms crossed comfortably in front of him “As long as you promise to take more time off.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Now, let’s talk about this skate program. Is your evaluation almost done?”

Gaara nodded, pulling out his notebook. It’s complete. I have a list of children our branch has worked with who have done the program and have charted how it has affected them. I have also taken some of the goals we have for the children and aligned them to the goals that Lee has. I have also taken the opportunity to speak with a few of the foster parents regarding the program.”

Temari nodded, a faint expression of pride on her face, though she would never show too much for fear of giving Gaara a big head. “That’s great. Give me a brief run down. What does an average session look like?”

“Well, Rock Lee, or Lee, as you know runs the program. He actually started the program with an ex- girlfriend,” Gaara began, adding a subconscious emphasis on the ex. “He’s been skating ever since he was a child, though he was in an accident in his early teens that caused him to not be able to skate professionally as he wanted to, though his foster sister is a famous skater. Oh, and he’s best friends with Neji who runs the skate shop Kankuro works at, which is an interesting coincidence-”

Temari stopped him before he could go on further, her face bewildered. “That’s all fine and dandy, Gaara, but I asked for information on the program. Not Rock Lee.”

“Oh. Right,” Gaara replied, his cheeks growing hot, but he recovered quickly, never really one to be thrown off his feet. “Well, the techniques he uses are fairly simple, yet effective. He takes the time to teach the children individually where possible, but also allows a lot of the groups to self-instruct, giving some of the children an opportunity to develop leadership skills and improve social skills all around. He also does a lot of demonstration, showing the kids all of the specialty moves he has learned.”

Gaara remembered the first time he saw Lee skate when his shirt slid up, revealing his chiseled stomach. He cleared his throat attempting to focus his mind, then continued. “By doing so, he better connects with the kids. As one of the parents said, he gives the kids a reliable and trustworthy adult to look to and then assists them in learning a new skill. It’s quite effective. I will have a more thorough report prepared for you to present to the board, but I believe we should continue to sponsor it fully.”

Temari nodded, a sly look on her face. “And you said he does it all alone?”

“Well, most of the time. His foster dads will stop by every once in a while to help out a bit.”

“Oh? And what did you see from observing them?”

“Well, I haven’t had much of a chance to evaluate them,” Gaara said, flipping through his notebook to check what he had written during the session where Gai was there. “But from what I’ve seen, one of them is very similar to Lee and the other just kind of goes with the flow. So not really a concern for us.”

“Nope, absolutely not. Sorry, Gaara, but you’re going to have to do some more evaluations. I can’t have two rando’s walking around with the kids.”

“But, Temari, they’re not ‘rando’s-”

“Gaara, as your director I am telling you that you need to evaluate this program longer. The report you’ve made so far is good, but I think some more observation, without taking notes, is necessary,” Temari said, a meaningful look on her face. Gaara looked at her, slightly frustrated. If Lee trusted them, then why shouldn’t Gaara? Temari pinched her nose bridge, sighing as she realized that Gaara wasn’t getting the point. “Look, Gaara, I’m not really sure what’s going on, but you seem to be very interested in this Lee guy, whether it be romantic, or just as friends, or whatever. I’m simply trying to give you more reasons to spend time with him.

Gaara flushed slightly as he finally understood what Temari was doing. He gave her a small smile, grateful for her sisterly intuition. “Well, I guess if my director has requested it, I should be a good employee and do what she says.” 

Gaara continued to smile at her as he stood. He walked toward the door before pausing, looking back over his shoulder.

“Thanks, Tem.”

She smiled back at him before turning back to her computer. She opened up the well used chat box she shared with Shikamaru and began typing a message.

Temari:

Do you know anything about Rock Lee?

 

Gaara made his way back to his desk. Had he been one to show emotions as freely as Lee might, he would have been vibrating with excitement. But instead, he maintained his stony visage. He sat down at his desk to follow up on some paperwork he had missed being absent the previous Friday and glanced at the clock. Only ten, which meant he still had seven more hours before he could see Lee again. He sighed, resting his cheek on his fist. Hopefully the day went by quickly. At this point he had pretty much thrown the idea of “professionalism” out the window. Lee had obviously wanted to at least be friends, and Gaara was more than happy to oblige. Regardless of whether he was able to pursue anything romantically with Lee, he was glad that he was making connections outside of the work field. Besides, after wearing someone’s clothes and holding their hand, whether platonic or not, there isn’t much of a chance at easily going back to being professionals.

Luckily for Gaara, he didn’t have to wait too long to head back to the park, as the day flew by. One of his colleagues had asked for his assistance in a particularly challenging case, which he was happy to help with. He didn’t have to go out on the field, luckily, but he was able to offer advice and assistance where needed. It made Gaara feel proud to know that others felt like they could come to him for help. With how challenging and emotionally draining their job was, knowing that others trusted him enough to help them meant the world to him. He was glad that he chose this path for himself. Not only did it allow him to help kids who were in similar situations as he had been, it also helped him connect with others who he could support and who would support him in return. Like Lee.

At exactly 5 o'clock, Gaara was locking his door and rushing out of the building. He got into his car, throwing his bag on the passenger seat. As he drove to the skate park, he did his best to calm down, wanting to maintain his usual composed nature. By the time he pulled into the parking lot, he had mostly achieved his goal. Until he saw Lee.

Lee was doing as he usually did, dipping in and out of the ground, his board gliding over the slick cement effortlessly. At the sight of Gaara’s unique red hair, Lee rolled down one hill and out the other, stepping off his board and popping it into his hand like he had done the first day they met.

He was so cool.

“Gaara!” Lee yelled, his grin as blinding as ever. Suddenly overwhelmed with excitement, Gaara dropped his bag, walking quickly to Lee before pulling him into a tight hug. Lee’s board clattered to the ground, the sound accompanied by his laugh. Gaara wrapped his arms around him tighter, pressing his face into Lee’s solid chest. A calmness spread through Gaara’s body, similar to the way he felt when Lee had taken him back to his house. He exuded comfort no matter what he was doing. It was almost intoxicating to Gaara, especially as someone who always experienced some level of discomfort around everyone but his siblings.

“Hello!” Lee said, returning Gaara’s tight embrace with his own bone creaking one. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thanks to you.” Gaara pulled back, smiling up at Lee as he kept his arms clasped underneath Lee’s forearms.

“You are far too generous, Gaara. I know you would have bounced back whether I had been involved or not. You are so strong! But, I am glad I was able to assist in some way. I will always be more than happy to help you!”

“Thank you, Lee. I appreciate it. And the same goes for you. I am always happy to support you as much as I can. Which, speaking of that, I was wondering… Is there any room in the program for another volunteer? I would really like to get more involved.”

Lee paused, staring at Gaara with wide eyes. Before Gaara could apologize for whatever he had said wrong, Lee burst into tears, throwing his arms back around Gaara and sobbing on his shoulder.

“Yes! I would be more than happy to have you help out!” Lee pulled away from Gaara, wiping his eyes as he hiccuped slightly. After he had composed himself, he drew his eyebrows down in a determined expression. “I will interview you immediately after tonight's session!”

“Wait, interview?”

“Oh, absolutely. I am sure you are qualified to help, Gaara. But, I want to be sure that I remain consistent with my program. Everyone will get an interview if they would like to volunteer. But do not worry! I know the director of the program, and he happens to like you very much already!” Lee winked at Gaara, giving him a thumbs up. Gaara smiled and nodded. He wasn’t sure how Lee managed to be so dorky, yet so very cool at the same time. Kids began filtering into the park, running and screaming Lee’s name.

“That is my cue!” Lee said, smiling at Gaara. He waved to him before turning around to his little fans. He put his skateboard on the ground, placing his hands on top of the rough surface. He began to skate on his hands again, though this time he did it with only one arm, the other extended to the side as he wobbled. Gaara’s face burned as he watched Lee’s biceps flex, his shirt slipping down once again to tease him. Gaara turned abruptly around, walking quickly back to his assigned place on the park bench. What he missed in his haste was Lee looking back over at him, smiling as the blood rushed to his head.

The skate session continued as normal, Lee’s endless energy allowing him to bound from one side of the skate park to another. He would often look over at Gaara between helping the kids. Each time, Gaara would make eye contact and smile at him. Lee would triple the size of Gaara’s smile on his own face and send him either a thumbs up or a wave. He even sent the kids on a short break half way through the session, just so he could check on Gaara. 

He was so considerate.

Finally, the session ended. Foster parents and siblings came to collect the kids, a chorus of groans sounding all around the park as they began to leave, causing Lee to laugh.

“I will see you all very soon! Thank you for coming, you all did a wonderful job!” 

Once the last of the kids had been cleared out and all of the snacks had been cleaned up and thrown away, Lee and Gaara sat at the park bench together, turned slightly to face each other. 

“Are you ready to begin?” Lee asked, wiggling slightly in his seat. Gaara nodded, his serious visage appearing due to his nerves. “Wonderful!” Lee said, beaming at him. His grin was quickly replaced by a determined frown as he looked at Gaara.

“Now, Gaara. Why do you want to participate in my skating program?”

Gaara swallowed loudly. Why was this necessary? Couldn’t Lee just go off of what he already knew?

“Well, I really enjoy my career as a social worker, but I felt like I wanted to get more involved in it outside of the usual cases.” Lee stared back at him silently, which caused Gaara to feel like he needed to continue. “Temari, my sister, who is also my director, suggested that it would be good for me to get out of the house more. Socialize. I figured that this would be a good way to do it.”

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Lee nodded, his expression still serious.

“What experience do you have working with foster children and at risk youth?”

Gaara’s brow creased slightly in frustration. He hadn’t told Lee everything about his childhood, but didn’t Gaara deserve at least some credit for what he had already told him?

“I’ve been a social worker for over a year now. I graduated with high honors from my college. I have worked on several tough cases and have become someone that my colleagues can rely on.” Again, he was met with the same stare from Lee, spurring him on. What was it about Lee that made him want to confess every little detail of his entire life?

“I also grew up as a foster kid so I have first hand experience as to what it’s like to grow up in the foster care system, as do you. I had pretty harsh PTSD throughout my teenage years and still suffer from it. This led to insomnia, anxiety, which you saw an occurence of this past weekend, and the like. But I would never allow that to affect the kids in any way. I’ve gotten help, I have coping mechanisms. I do my best despite my challenges…” Gaara trailed off, slightly worried that he had given too much information once again. Lee nodded again, his seriousness putting Gaara slightly on edge. 

“Finally, what experience do you have with skating?”

Gaara deflated at that question. Why did he think he would be able to volunteer in a skating program when he had never so much as stepped on a skateboard? He thought about “fluffing up” his lack of experience, but decided against it. If Lee actually believed him, which wasn’t likely, he would expect him to either skate or instruct the kids on how to skate, both of which would be hazardous to many people. 

“My brother Kankuro skates, but that is the only semblance I have when it comes to knowledge about skating. I am sure there are other areas I may be useful in but, unfortunately, skating would not be one of them.”

Lee nodded at that, his expression softening slightly. “Do not worry, that is understandable! I just need to know what experience you had so I know where would be best to place you.”

Gaara brightened slightly at that. “So, does that mean you’ll let me volunteer?”

“That is not decided yet, but I will let you know soon! May I please have your number so that I can call you as soon as I know?”

Gaara deflated fully, annoyed at Lee’s long process. He thought that Lee knew him better than that. He shouldn’t have even hesitated when Gaara had asked. But, he brushed his annoyance aside and gave Lee his number, doing his best to hide his impatience.

“Wonderful!” Lee said, clicking the save button on his phone. “Thank you so much for applying. I will let you know as soon as I decide!”

Gaara nodded then stood up.

“Oh, are you leaving?” Lee asked, standing to mimic Gaara’s stance.

“Yes, it’s about time for me to pick up Kankuro.”

“Oh. That is understandable. You are a very good brother,” Lee said, disappointment evident in his face. “I suppose I will see you sometime soon?”

Gaara nodded, a light smile returning to his face at Lee’s eagerness to see him again. Lee smiled back, pulling Gaara in for a brief hug. “Goodnight then, Gaara. Please drive safe!”

“I will do my best,” he replied, waving as Lee walked away. He walked slowly back to his car, wishing he could spend more time with Lee. But it was worth it to see Kankuro as he picked him up from work. They hadn’t seen each other much the previous weekend and Gaara had begun to miss him. Of course, he wouldn’t tell Kankuro that. He would think it was too sappy. So instead, he tried to show it by stopping to get Kankuro’s favorite food as he drove to the skate shop. When they got home after a relatively quiet drive, Gaara popped in one of Kankuro’s favorite comedies. They ate together, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. At one point, Gaara looked over at Kankuro, smiling at his brother as he snort laughed a noodle up through his nose. Gaara laughed loudly at this causing Kankuro to throw what was left of an egg roll at him. 

After the movie was over, and Kankuro was passed out on the couch, Gaara got up and went to bed. He decided to leave Kankuro where he was knowing that he didn’t have to work in the morning. He also knew that Kankuro had been struggling to sleep lately. He didn’t want to wake him up and risk him not being able to fall back asleep. Gaara rolled onto his mattress, this time in his own pajamas. He had reluctantly placed Lee’s clothes into his hamper, finally decided that they needed to be washed and returned. Lee had been kind enough to not say anything earlier that night, but Gaara didn’t want to take advantage of his generosity.

Gaara took a while to get comfortable, tossing to each side as he thought about his interview. He was glad Lee was so dedicated to having a quality program, but he would be lying if he said it didn’t bug him that he made Gaara go through with the interview process.

Just as Gaara began to drift off, his phone began buzzing. He squinted as he looked at it, an unknown number lighting his screen. His heart leapt into his throat remembering he had given Lee his number earlier. But what if it wasn’t him? 

Gaara sat for a moment, staring at his phone as it vibrated in his hand. Just before the call was about to end, he swiped it open.

 

“Hello?” he said, his tired voice scratchy as he spoke.

“Gaara? This is Lee,” he heard a voice say on the other line. Sniffling accompanied the words, as they so often did when it came to Lee.

“Lee? What’s wrong?” Gaara asked, fully awake now and panicking slightly.

“Oh, Gaara. I am just so terribly sorry that I put you through such a grueling interview process! I normally try to be very serious, but… we’re friends! I shouldn’t have done that, I am so so sorry, I would understand if you-”

“Lee, calm down. I understand why you did it. Even though it was a tough interview, I’m glad you are so dedicated to the program. It’s important that the correct people are chosen for it, regardless of how you feel about them.”

Lee sniffed in response. 

“So, have you spoken to the director of the program yet? What did he think?” Gaara asked, a hint of amusement in his voice as he attempted to cheer Lee up.

Lee gave a watery laugh. “He loved it, he said your interview went really well! He wanted me to call you to offer a volunteer position in the program!”

Gaara’s heart clenched. “Really? What will I be doing?”

“You’ll be running the snack station!” Lee practically yelled, his voice dripping with enthusiasm. Gaara sighed in relief. Snack stations he could do. Skates and helmets, he could not.

“That’s perfect. I am very excited to start.”

“Wonderful! You will start officially next week, but I do hope to see you between now and then!”

Gaara smiled, shaking his head gently at Lee’s eagerness. “I will be sure to stop by when I can. Thank you for calling, Lee. It was wonderful to talk to you before I went to sleep.”

“And it was wonderful to talk to you as well! Thank you so much, Gaara. Goodnight!”

Gaara said goodnight, hanging up the phone and setting it back on his night stand. He smiled up at the ceiling, relief flooding through him. Lee wanted him in the program and he wanted to spend time with him! That was all that Gaara could ask for. Though he couldn’t help but shake the feeling that there might have been something more there.


	8. Snack Station

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara starts volunteering at Lee's skate program

The remainder of the week passed smoothly for Gaara. He found himself mainly following up on old reports at work, not having any current projects to work on. Though Temari was stern, she was very intuitive when it came to her employees and did her best to lighten the workload when she knew they had had enough, Gaara being no exception. Even though they were related, she did her best to give him the same treatment as she would her other employees. She would never give him an excess of what he couldn’t handle, but she definitely didn’t go easy on him. Gaara wasn’t sure how working with his sister would go when he initially applied, but he was glad to be able to work with her. Even if she wasn’t his sister, Gaara knew that she was the best director in the area. He was happy he had decided to not apply to any of the other branches, even though working in the Konoha area meant he would have met Lee sooner. But working with his sister was definitely worth it.

Gaara filled his week with the follow ups as well as assisting coworkers. Wanting to help keep Gaara busy, while not overloading him, Temari often pulled him from his office to talk with some of the other social workers about their cases, offering advice and assistance as he could. This also helped him recover from his intense weekend. Typically when he was under a lot of stress or had a breakdown he would seclude himself, locking his office door and refusing to speak to anyone. Temari, not wanting him to fall back into old habits, kept him moving and socializing as best as she could. 

The remainder of his time was spent with Kankuro who insisted on some “good old fashioned bro time,” whatever that meant. He wanted to go to the skate park to see Lee again, but unfortunately, the one night Kankuro had to work late was the same night the program wasn’t running, which Lee was kind enough to text Gaara and remind him of. Gaara sent a quick apology text, letting him know that he wouldn’t see him until the following Monday. Lee had replied with a crying emoji, quickly followed up by a lengthy text profusely expressing his understanding.

As the weekend rolled around, Gaara was reminded of Temari’s plans to have dinner with him and Kankuro. Gaara called Kankuro at work, he having forgotten to let him know of their plans.

“Yo, what the fuck is up?” Kankuro drawled as he picked up the phone.

“I forgot to tell you, Temari wants us to go have dinner with her and Shikamaru tonight. I’ll pick you up from the skate shop then we’ll head over to the restaurant.” 

“Who's payin’?” he asked, the sound of boxes being carted around in the background.

“I’m assuming we’re splitting it. What are you doing?” Gaara asked, absentmindedly poking at the aloe plant on his desk.

“I’m moving boxes, boss wants me to restock the inventory. Hey, do you think I could convince Tem to pay for me?” In the background a faint “get back to work!” was heard. Gaara snorted, rolling his eyes at his brother.

“Well, you could definitely try, but I doubt she’ll do it. I’ll text you when I’m on my way. Don’t get fired.”

“Toodles!”

Gaara hung up his phone, staring at his brother’s contact picture. Why was he so weird? 

Once another quiet work day had ended, Gaara grabbed his things and made his way to Temari’s office. He walked in quietly, noticing that her eyes were closed, her cheek resting in her hand.

“Hey, Tem? Gaara said, his voice soft as he approached her desk.

She cracked her eyes open, looking back at Gaara with a slight glare. “What?”

“I was just going to let you know that I’m going to pick Kankuro up then meet you and Shikamaru at the restaurant. Are you… okay?”

She sighed, sitting up fully. “Yeah, just tired. Shika’s almost here to get me. I’ll see you there.”

Gaara nodded. “Do you need anything?”

“A 20 year nap.”

“I’ll talk to the sandman and see what he can do,” Gaara replied with a smirk. Temari snorted, dropping her head back onto her hand. 

“See you soon.”

Gaara walked out of the building feeling lighter than he had on this same day the week previous. With the opportunity to spend time with his siblings tonight and the anticipation of volunteering in the skate program Monday, his spirits were high. 

He drove to the skate shop to pick up Kankuro, humming along with the music playing on the radio. As he pulled into the parking lot, he saw Kankuro speeding around in figure eights on rollerblades. Curiously, they weren’t the bright purple ones he usually wore. Gaara rolled into a parking space, turned off the ignition, and walked over to Kankuro. As he looked closer, he noticed that he was wearing black roller blades that had a pale green “X” on the side with two delicate lines next to it.

“New skates?” Gaara asked as Kankuro slid next to him, his blades faced sideways to help him brake.

“Boss wanted me to try ‘em out, we just got them in today. They’re pretty good, Neji! Very comfortable,” he explained, turning to Neji who had walked out of the store, arms crossed. Gaara noticed that his usual glare was absent, replaced with a look of indifference on his face. This was the happiest Gaara had ever seen him.

“Alright,” Neji said, turning to walk back into the store. “See you tomorrow.”

“Wait, don’t you want them back?”

Neji turned back to him, a slight smirk on his face. “Nah, you keep them. No one wants them now that your nasty feet have been in them.”

“Oh. Well, thanks!” Kankuro called, though Neji had already closed the door. Kankuro turned to Gaara smiling. “You ready to yeet outta here?”

“I… suppose so?” Gaara replied, a confused look on his face. He wasn’t sure what Kankuro was saying half of the time, if he was being honest. He turned to walk back to the car before stopping abruptly, looking back at his brother. “Do you work tomorrow? I thought you had the day off?”

“Oh, I uh, I do. I’m going to see him tomorrow night. I’m watching a movie at his place.” 

Gaara blinked at him. “I thought you hated him?”

“No!” Kankuro replied, a light pink dusting his cheeks. “No he’s… he’s actually pretty cool.” He bent down and undid his skates, slipping his shoes back on.

Gaara nodded, unsure of how to reply. They both slipped into the car silently and began driving to the restaurant.

“So, why do you think Shikamaru wanted to have dinner? He’s not really the one to go out of his way to plan something,” Kankuro drawled, scrolling through his phone as Gaara drove.

“I’m not sure. All Temari said was that he wanted to spend some time with us. Not much more of an explanation. Who knows, maybe he’s suddenly decided that he’s going to put in more of an effort into spending time with his girlfriend’s family.”

Kankuro snorted, closing his phone and slipping it into his pocket as they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. “Who knows, man. He’s a good guy, I guess. I’m glad Temari has him.”

Gaara nodded as he put the car in park. They slipped into the restaurant where Temari and Shikamaru had already been seated. After exchanging greetings, the two sat down and opened the menu. Temari and Shikamaru were oddly silent, seemingly very focused on the papers in front of them. Suddenly, Temari slammed her menu down, breaking the slightly awkward silence and drawing the attention of a few tables nearby.

“Alright, I’m just going to cut to the chase. I’m pregnant. That’s why we asked you to come to dinner. I was just going to let you two figure it out on your own, but Shikamaru insisted on telling you both in person. Besides, you’re both so dense that it would have taken you until the baby was actually born to figure out what was happening.”

Gaara and Kankuro sat in shock as Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose. “I guess that’s one way to put it, you troublesome woman.” As he finished his sentence, he looked over at Temari, the subtlest look of love on her face. Gaara and Kankuro continued to stare at the couple, Kankuro’s mouth ajar and Gaara’s usually blank face resembling that of an owl’s.

“Are you telling me you guys had fucking sex?!” Kankuro yelled, his hand slamming on the table as his menu flopped down. Temari kicked him from under the table as a few of the other restaurant goers glared at them, particularly one that had a table full of children. Kankuro repeated himself, this time in a harsh whisper. “You guys had fucking sex?!”

“Kankuro, they’ve been together for years now. Does it really come as this much of a shock to you?” Gaara asked, staring over at him blankly.

“I mean, that’s my sister. My sister got boned. Holy shit.”

Gaara rolled his eyes, redirecting his attention to his sister who sat with her face in her hands. “Congratulations, both of you. I will say that it comes as a bit of a surprise, though there were quite a few signs leading to it that I must have missed. You will both be great parents.”

“Thanks, Gaara,” Temari said, pulling her face out of her hands and smiling at him from across the table. “You’ll make a great uncle. Though, I can’t say the same for the dumb ass sitting next to you.” Kankuro didn’t respond, he being too busy staring at the table and mumbling something about “sex” and “my sister.”

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Shikamaru said, shooting a teasing glare to Temari, “we’re gonna need to ask a few favors from you guys. I’m going to be held up at the accounting firm quite a bit which means Tem will need some help with the baby and getting back and forth to doctor’s appointments.”

Temari nodded as she continued, “Gaara, I also wanted to ask you a huge favor. I know you haven’t been a social worker for very long, but I need you to fill in as director for me while I’m on maternity leave, as well as the days I have to be at the doctor or home sick. Morning sickness has been a real bitch.”

Gaara nodded, determined to help his sister as best as he could. He felt very overwhelmed with two huge roles suddenly being added to his life, but he wanted to be strong for his family. He loved kids and made a silent vow to himself that he would protect Temari’s little one with his life, if it came to it. Things were about to change for the better.

“I will do my best to live up to your standards. They are big shoes to fill, but I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, squirt, that’s why I picked you,” Temari said, laughing lightly. “The council fully approved of the role fill as well. Seems like you have impressed quite a few people.”

Gaara smiled lightly, looking down at his menu. 

“Uh, are you okay man?” Shikamaru asked, looking over at Kankuro with a concerned expression. He stared at his menu, his lips pressed in a thin line.

“I need some fucking mozzarella sticks.”

Gaara rolled his eyes as Temari sighed. Their brother was hopeless.

After ordering their food, and Kankuro had calmed down, Shikamaru turned to Gaara, his head resting lazily on his fist.

“So, Temari tells me you’ve been evaluating Lee’s program.”

Gaara nodded, trying not to let his suddenly racing heart give away his true feelings. “I have. Do you know him?”

Shikamaru nodded. “He stayed at my house for a bit when we were younger. My parents fostered for a while,” he explained. “He’s a good guy. He didn’t stay for long. They found another placement for him, since my parents were already pretty loaded as far as kids went. He went to my high school, too, though he was in a different graduating year. We’ve managed to keep in contact,” Shikamaru shrugged.

“Oh,” Gaara replied, pretending to be very interested in the salt shaker on the table. “He told me about his current foster parents, Kakashi and Gai, but he hasn’t really talked much about his experience otherwise.”

“Yeah, he wasn’t really with us for very long. Not much to talk about as far as our family goes, I guess.” Gaara nodded in response, unsure of what to say.

“Temari says you have a bit of a crush on him.”

Gaara glanced up from the salt shaker directing a brief death glare in Temari’s direction. The opportunity to harass Gaara pulled Kankuro out of his trance.

“Oh yeah, he’s totally into him. He spent the night at his house the other day. Suddenly, he was wearing a green hoodie that was definitely not his.” Gaara redirected his glare to his brother, pinching his leg under the table.

“Lee is very kind and helped me after a horrible break down. He had no ulterior motives, nor did I. I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself, Kankuro.”

Shikamaru scoffed. “Yeah, Lee was always one to go out of his way to help someone.”

Gaara looked at Kankuro as if to say his point had been proven.

“But, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not worth trying to go out with him. He had a pretty nasty breakup a while ago and I haven’t heard of anything else since then, which means he’s single.”

“Yes, I knew that,” Gaara replied, picking the salt shaker back up.

Shikamaru paused, staring meaningfully at Gaara. “He’s also bisexual. Meaning he’s into guys, too.”

“Yes, I knew that, too,” Gaara huffed, placing the shaker back into its place once again.

“So, why the hell aren’t you two dating yet?” Temari piped up, just as the food arrived. Gaara took this moment to shove food into his face so he wouldn’t have to answer the question. He wasn’t entirely sure himself. He had always done his best to be straight forward, but when it came to his feelings for Lee, he couldn’t seem to tell him how he felt. 

Luckily for Gaara’s sanity, the remainder of the evening was relatively Lee-less. Kankuro drowned his feelings in mozzarella sticks and the three emotionally stable people at the table discussed normal day to day things such as work, shows they were watching, and, of course, Gaara’s succulents.

They stood outside of the restaurant preparing to leave, when Kankuro spoke up.

“I’m sorry for acting weird, Tem. It’s just kinda difficult to see you as a mom. Not that you won’t be a good one! No, you’ll be… you’ll do really well. You and Shika. It’s just a lot of change I guess.”

Temari pulled her younger brother in for a tight hug, a rare type of physical contact between the two. “And you’ll be an excellent uncle.”

They pulled away, both smiling gently at each other. Shikamaru stuck a finger in his mouth in a mock gagging gesture behind them causing Gaara to laugh. Temari whipped around, redirecting her attention to her boyfriend.

“What are you doing back there, asshole?”

Shikamaru grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together as they walked back toward the car. “Oh, just the usual asshole things.”

Gaara smiled as he watched Shikamaru pull Temari’s hand to his mouth to kiss the back of it gently. He knew that would soften her up. She couldn’t stay mad at him for long.

The rest of the weekend passed slowly for Gaara. Kankuro was gone most of Saturday and Sunday, he having spent the night at Neji’s again, which Gaara thought was weird. He was going to need to have a serious conversation with him about it when he got home. He was worried that Neji was taking advantage of Kankuro’s weird, misplaced crush, if it could even be called that, and using him to do extra work for the shop.

Gaara mainly puttered around their apartment, excessively dusting every surface. Without Kankuro home, he didn’t have much to do. Maybe Temari was right, he really needed to socialize more, or at least find things to do with his spare time. He couldn’t help but wonder what Lee usually did on the weekends. He briefly considered texting him to see if he wanted to grab lunch, but chickened out before he could hit send. He supposed that it would be best to wait until Monday to see Lee. 

Once Monday finally came, Gaara was buzzing with anticipation. After a slow work day, he practically ran to his car, eager to see Lee again and begin helping with the program. He sped to the park, constantly having to reduce his speed to avoid being pulled over. Once he was parked, he threw his bag over his shoulder, bounding over to the main bowl of the park to look for Lee. He peeked over the edge, slightly disappointed to find that it was devoid of the dimpled, bowl cut haired man.

“Gaara!”

He whipped around toward the direction of the voice. There stood Lee, as smiley as ever in his flannel shirt and ripped jeans. Kakashi and Gai walked behind them, chatting to each other. In his excitement, Gaara barreled toward Lee, grabbing him around the waist and squeezing tightly.

“Well, hello! How are you?” Lee said laughing.

Gaara squeezed tighter before releasing Lee. “I am doing well. I’m sorry to lunge at you like that. I’ve been very… excited to start.”

“No, it is perfectly alright!” Lee replied, squeezing Gaara’s shoulder. Behind him, Kakashi coughed, ruining their moment. 

“Oh! That is right! Gaara, my dads will be helping out today as well! Gai will be teaching technique with me and Kakashi will be on the snack station with you!”

Gaara nodded, looking around Lee to see the silver haired man standing behind Gai’s wheelchair, a book lazily propped open behind Gai’s headrest. 

“Yes! I can’t wait to reinforce the ideals of youth and vigor into the kids!” Gai shouted, lurching forward as his strong arms pushed his wheels. Kakashi, who had been leaning on his chair, stumbled forward, his book toppling to the ground. He looked up at the sky and sighed, as if this were the worst thing to ever happen to him. He bent down, picking the book up and brushing it off gingerly. Gaara didn’t know what he was reading, but with the way Kakashi acted, the neon orange book was a sacred text in Kakashi’s eyes.

“Let me go get the snacks out of my car,” Lee said, redirecting Gaara’s attention. “Then we can set your area up before the children arrive!” 

Gaara nodded, following Lee as he walked to his car. They each grabbed an armful of various treats, ranging from fruit leather, to juice boxes, to granola bars. Kakashi followed behind, book in hand. Lee smiled at him, handing him one of the packs of juice boxes.

“Thank you so much for helping out, Kakashi!”

Gaara didn’t think he was really doing much, but the effort he was putting in meant a lot to Lee. Kakashi gave him a crinkled smile, bumping his hip into him affectionately.

“Anything for you, kid.”

Lee beamed at that as he made his way over to a small table next to the skate park. They set the snacks out, Gaara tediously arranging them so that they would look their best, even going as far as to set them in coordinating colors. Lee stepped back to admire their work and beamed at Gaara.

“You’ve already done so well! Doesn’t it look great, Kakashi?” Kakashi grunted an agreement from behind the pages of his book. Lee turned back to Gaara excitedly.

“Ooh, I forgot one thing! Please wait here on moment, I won’t be gone long!”

Gaara nodded and smiled up at Lee who, at Gaara’s confirmation, took of running back in the direction of his car. Gaara turned back to the table, meticulously straightening the snacks, even though they were sure to be disorganized once the kids arrived. Occasionally he would steal glances at Kakashi who was flipping the pages of his book, lazily licking his fingers as he did so.

“So,” Kakashi said, breaking the silence between them. “I heard you and Lee had a little sleepover the other night.”

Gaara’s cheeks reddened. “I guess you could call it that. I had a bad night and he brought me back to his house.” Gaara shrugged, unsure of what else to add.

Kakashi hummed, flicking his eyes up from his book, a knowing look on his face.

“Interesting. Lee had a lot more to say about it then you do.”

Before Gaara could respond, Lee ran back, a long piece of metal in his hand. As he got closer, he flicked out one half of it, it being folded in on itself. It flipped out, revealing itself to be a scooter. Gaara’s heart dropped into his stomach. He recalled one of their first conversations where he had mentioned that he would consider a scooter, not being one for any other type of skating. Apparently Lee had taken that to heart. He bounced in place excitedly, looking between the scooter and Gaara.

“I did not want you to feel left out of skate night now that you will be here more frequently! Oh, and one more thing!”

He pulled out a black rectangular paper from his back pocket. He peeled one side of it off, and slapped it onto the bottom of Gaara’s scooter. It had the same “YOUTH” logo that Lee had been wearing on his shirt the first night they met.

“I had this design printed out into stickers for all of the kids! That way they could put them on their helmets and feel apart of our little skating family! Everyone will know that they’re with me from now on.” Lee grinned at Gaara as he handed it over to him. Gaara placed it on the ground, gripping the handles firmly. He stepped on it cautiously, using his other foot to push him a few feet as a test ride. He rode in a circle around Lee causing him to laugh.

“This is great,” Gaara said, coming to a stop in front of him. “Thank you so much, Lee. This was very considerate of you.”

Lee grabbed onto Gaara’s shoulders, squeezing gently.

“Ah, I am so glad you like it!” he replied, smiling down at him. “Please be careful as you ride!” Kids began filtering into the skate park causing him to turn around. “It looks like it is time to begin! I will come check on you and Kakashi later. Thank you so much for helping out!”

Gaara gave Lee a small wave as he ran to join Gai in greeting the kids. Gaara stepped back onto the scooter, pushing himself around a few more times while he waited for snack time to start. He looked over at Lee who was watching him ride with tears in his eyes. When he saw Gaara staring, he gave him a watery smile and a huge thumbs up. Gaara smiled back at him, bravely wiggling his front wheel so that he dipped side to side. Lee laughed before turning back to the kid he was working with. After a few more rounds, Gaara went back to the table. He parked the scooter by a tree and stood next to where Kakashi lay on the ground, snoring lightly with his book on his face.

After a few more minutes of skating, kids began to rush to the snack table. Suddenly overwhelmed, Gaara nudged Kakashi with his foot, quickly stepping away so as to not be discovered as the source of Kakashi’s jolt back to consciousness. He sat up with a snort and an “oh, shit” as he saw the kids dashing towards him. He jumped up and began handing snacks out as if his life depended on it. Gaara knew he was trying to quicken things so he could get back to his book, but as long as he was helping, Gaara didn’t care. 

After a few kids had filtered through the line, Gaara saw two familiar faces.

“Hello, Raito. It’s good to see you again.” He smiled down at her, handing her a granola bar and a juice box.

“Hi, Gaara! Look, my foster brother Asahi is here, too!” She tugged on the boys hand, causing him to stepforward shyly.

“Hi, Gaara.”

“Hello, Asahi. You look well. How have you been doing?” Gaara handed the boy his snacks, taking an extra moment to pat his shoulder. He was much cleaner, his hair brushed and his clothes washed. A dull ache that Gaara hadn’t realized was there for the past week healed itself at the sight.

“I’m fine, I guess,” Asahi shrugged. “I.. I miss my mom and dad,” he said, his eyes filling with tears. “But, it’s okay, ‘cause Raito’s moms are pretty nice.” He sniffled, rubbing a fist into his eye. “An’ Raito shares her toys with me. She even taught me how to skateboard tonight.”

Gaara smiled down at him and nodded. “That’s wonderful to hear. You’re very brave and strong. Thank you for being so good.” He turned toward Raito. “And thank you for being a good sister to Asahi. You are both very lucky to have each other.”

Raito beamed at Gaara as Asahi smiled shyly toward his foster sister. Gaara snuck them each an extra granola bar before waving them off as other kids came up to the table. As the kids made their way to the grass to eat, Gaara suddenly found himself very tired and very thirsty. Once again he found himself wondering how Lee had done it all by himself for so long. Though his dads had helped to a certain extent, a lot of the heaviest jobs were placed on Lee and he went without much emotional support. Gaara hoped he would be able to change that.

He grabbed one of the juice boxes, ripping the straw out of the wrapper and puncturing the top. He glanced over at Kakashi who was eating a granola bar, staring at one of the trees across the park. Deciding that Kakashi could handle any stragglers, Gaara shoved a granola bar in his pocket and grabbed his scooter.

He stepped on top, gripping the bars in one hand as he continued to sip from the box. He scootered his way over to where Lee was resting on a park bench. He came to a stop in front of him and pulled the granola bar out of his pocket. 

“Here. You seem exhausted.” 

Lee smiled up at him, squinting as the sun shone in his eyes.

“Thank you very much! I am so sorry I have not checked on either of you yet. Did everything go okay?” He tore open the wrapper, eating half of the bar in one bite.

“Everything went very well.” Gaara paused, taking another drink from the juice box. “The foster child I was working with a week ago is here. His name is Asahi, he’s living with Raito at the moment.”

Lee jumped up from the bench, pulling Gaara into a hug. The handle bars of his scooter dug into his stomach, but he didn’t care. “Gaara, that is so wonderful! I am so very glad he is here. I will do my best to make him feel welcome and included!”

Gaara patted Lee on the back as best as he could with his free hand. “I know you will.”

Lee let go of him as the kids began walking back. “Please put your trash into the garbage cans!” he yelled. “Remember, ‘litter makes you a little bitter!’”

The kids laughed at Lee’s rhyme, but did as he asked. Gaara rolled away, taking his place back at the snack station. He and Kakashi began cleaning up, loading the snacks back into Lee’s car in preparation for the end of the night.

“Thanks for your help. I know it means a lot to Lee,” Kakashi said as he closed the trunk of the car. 

“I’m happy to do it,” Gaara replied looking up at him. 

“Well, I guess I better find where my ‘youthful’ husband ran off to,” Kakashi said, walking away as he sighed. Gaara followed suit, walking up to Lee as the kids began leaving with their parents and guardians for the night. Lee grabbed his skateboard, smiling over at Gaara as he got closer.

“Gaara! Thank you again so much for coming tonight!”

“Thank you for allowing me to help out. I can assure you that I will be back often.”

“Can I walk you to your car?” Lee asked, pointing his board toward the parking lot.

“Of course.”

Lee put his board on the ground and pushed off, slowly rolling toward their cars. Gaara followed suit, gripping the handle bars of his scooter tightly as he rolled. Though he had gotten used to traveling on his two wheels, he didn’t want to accidentally fall and make a fool of himself in front of Lee. As they got to Gaara’s car, Lee showed him how to fold the scooter and placed it in the trunk of his car next to Kankuro’s miscellaneous skating items. He walked Gaara over to the driver’s side of the car, hesitating slightly.

“Um, Gaara, I wanted to ask you…”

“Yes?” Gaara replied eagerly, urging Lee to continue.

“Well, I do not want to rush you, but I was wondering…”

Gaara held his breath, ecstatic that Lee was finally going to ask him out. It seemed like Gaara wouldn’t even have to confess his feelings first as Lee was going to do it all for him.

“Yes, I would love to,” Gaara said before Lee had finished speaking. Lee flushed a bright red, the tips of his ears changing to match his face.

“Oh, I um, I was actually going to ask you when the evaluation would be done. Not that I don’t want you to come anymore!” Lee shouted, his hands held up defensively. “I just wanted to see if I would be granted the ability to read the report.”

“Oh. Of course. I apologize for my misunderstanding,” Gaara said, deflating slightly. He shook himself out of it, resorting to his usual business like manner. “The evaluation is complete. I will be sure to give you a copy of the report once it is finished.”

Lee nodded somberly. “I suppose I will not be seeing you as much, then.”

“Lee, I already told you I would be around more often,” Gaara replied. “I’m here as a volunteer now, not a social worker. You can count on me to support you.”

Lee smiled gently back at Gaara. “I truly appreciate that.”

Gaara smiled back, opening his arms for a hug. Lee placed his board on the ground and gently pulled Gaara in. His fingers threaded through the hair on the back of his head gently. Gaara’s heart began to race, and he squeezed Lee tighter in an attempt to calm himself down. After a few moments, Lee pulled away, his hand gently dragging from his hair to the side of Gaara’s face, then falling to his shoulder.

“Have a wonderful night, Gaara.”

“Thank you, Lee. You as well.”

Gaara sat in his car, his forehead resting on the steering wheel. He scolded himself for getting too far ahead of the conversation and embarrassing himself. Thankfully, Lee chose not to address it. Gaara hoped that he didn’t realize what Gaara was assuming he would ask. He sighed as Shikamaru’s advice played through his head. Maybe it was worth a shot to pursue something with Lee, especially now that he wasn’t on a work assignment when he was spending time with him. Gaara tucked his thoughts in the back of his head as he drove to pick up Kankuro. Hopefully he would provide a good distraction by whatever ridiculous thing had happened at the shop that day.

Gaara smiled to himself as he drove. He was so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people. He hoped that he would be good enough to be the same for them, someone worth keeping around. He thought back to Lee and how excited he was to always see him, how appreciative he was for even the simplest assistance.

Gaara would do his best to be enough for Lee, whether they pursued anything romantically, or not.


	9. Next Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara decides that next time he sees Lee, he's going to ask him something important...

Gaara woke up the next day feeling very relaxed. He no longer had the anxiety of starting his volunteer work, and he had been able to see Lee. He did briefly cringe at the memory of his mistaking Lee’s question as a date, but he brushed it off. Lee was such a sweet guy that even if he did recognize Gaara’s misunderstanding, he would never make him feel bad or awkward about it. Gaara smiled at the ceiling, stretching his arms above his head as he began to mentally prepare for another day of work.

Gaara made his way into the office, smiling at a few of his coworkers as they passed. As he got to his area, he saw a tall, pale man. After stepping closer, he recognized him as Sai, one of the police officers that had been on the scene when he had removed Asahi from his home. Gaara walked up somewhat awkwardly, unsure of why he would be there. He stood in front of Gaara’s office, seemingly very focused on a book titled “Parenting for Dummies.” Gaara cleared his throat, pulling Sai out of the trance the book had placed him under.

“Oh. Gaara. Hello.” Sai offered a tight smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and held out a stiff hand. Gaara took it, shaking it somewhat awkwardly while Sai continued to smile.

“It’s… good to see you again,” Gaara said, pulling his hand back. “What are you doing here? Is there some follow up on Asahi’s case that I wasn’t informed of?”

“No,” Sai answered, closing his book and tucking it under his arm. “Had there been one, Yamato would have been the person to take care of that. I am here on personal matters. I would like to become a foster parent.”

Gaara paused, surprised at that news. Though he had a firm belief that anyone was capable of becoming a good foster parent, Sai seemed very detached in a way and didn’t really seem like one that would be able, or have the desire, to connect with kids.

“Okay,” Gaara said, bringing himself out of his slight shock. “Let’s discuss this further in my office.”

Gaara unlocked the door, pushing it open so Sai could walk through. Gaara walked around to sit behind his desk. Sai stood awkwardly in front of him, almost ignoring the chairs placed in front of Gaara for this exact purpose.

“You can sit down,” Gaara said after pausing slightly. Sai gave a quick nod and sat down stiffly in one of the chairs. He crossed one leg over the other, staring at Gaara blankly.

“So…” Gaara began, unsure of how to break the tension between them. Though he was good at conversation when he needed to be, he heavily relied on the participation of the other person, which Sai wasn’t doing much of.

“Why do you want to be a foster parent?”

Sai blinked at him before pulling the book back out. He flipped a few pages, drawing his finger over the well worn paper. “Parenthood is one of the most fulfilling and selfless acts one can perform. Though it is difficult, being able to raise a child is rewarding when it is done properly.” Sai closed the book again, looking back at Gaara as though he had fully answered the question. Gaara quirked a brow up at him.

“So, you’re looking for fulfillment in life?”

“I suppose that is accurate. Though I enjoy my career, I often find myself lonely when I arrive home. I want to be able to give back where I can, as I was in much of the same situation as these kids find themselves to be in.”

Gaara nodded, satisfied that he had gotten a more personal answer from Sai. He faintly remembered him talking about his experience in foster care with Asahi. 

“Can you tell me a little bit about your foster care experience? Only details you are comfortable sharing, of course. I only wish to know you a bit better and to figure out what areas we can support you in to help both you and the child be successful in foster care.”

“I suppose I was in foster care for as long as I can remember. I went from house to house often, not due to my behavior, but because of how many children were in the system where I lived. There was one house I stayed in for over a year. It was my most consistent living situation. I lived there with a boy named Shin. We became close and I considered him to be my own brother, as he considered me.

“He became very sick one day and ended up passing. I coped with the trauma by repressing it and shutting myself down.” A tight smile appeared on Sai’s face. “I still face the consequences of that grief today and am unable to fully express myself, which is why I am unable to connect with most people. At least, that’s what my therapist says. But I want to become better. I think this would help me.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your brother. Especially as foster children, we sometimes grow attached very quickly. We already know the pain of loss, but it doesn’t make it any easier each time.”

Sai nodded in agreement, his eyes cast downward in his first show of authentic emotion since he had stepped into Gaara’s office. “I want to be able to find a real connection again as I had with my brother. I have tried, and failed, many times. I am hoping that I will be able to connect with a foster child who has similar struggles as me. That way we can keep each other company without causing the other to feel uncomfortable.”

“I’m sure we’ll be able to make something work,” Gaara said, smiling gently over at him. He could tell that Sai genuinely wanted to do this, that he was dedicated to caring for the kids, just as he had shown with Asahi. “I’m sorry I brought up such a heavy subject for you. What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing outside of work?”

Sai brightened slightly at that. It was a minute difference, but Gaara, being fairly non-responsive himself, was able to easily pick up on the subtleties in Sai’s behavior. “I really enjoy art. I paint a lot, when I can. I also enjoy sculpting, though I have just begun to learn.”

“That’s wonderful,” Gaara said, pulling his desk drawer open and grabbing a few papers. “Our branch runs many art programs that your skills would be very useful for. It would give you a chance to connect with the kids and learn more about their needs and how you could best support them in your home. There would also be opportunities to work one on one with kids in various programs, including sculpting. You could take the class with the child and try and connect one on one with them.”

Sai grabbed the papers from Gaara and began looking them over. “This would be suitable. How soon can I start?”

“I’m glad to see you’re eager to begin, however, there are a few basic classes you will need to take first. We will do a home evaluation before it begins so we can ensure that it’s a safe environment for the child and to help answer any personal questions you might have. From there you will receive the standard training on the children’s behaviors, basic first aid, and so on.”

Sai gave a quick nod of acknowledgement. “I will do my best. I appreciate your support. While I am waiting for all of this to begin, are there any books or resources you would suggest I look through to better prepare myself?”

Gaara pulled a few pamphlets out of his desk, handing them over to Sai to go with the flyers regarding art programs. “These give a basic overview of the process and will let you know what to expect. As far as books go, I would recommend looking at any that discuss basic child development, especially for those who have experienced hardship and trauma. Continue going to your therapist for support, they will also have some recommendations for you.”

Sai tucked the papers into his book, before closing it gently and tucking it safely back under his arm. “Understood. I will begin studying and will wait for the house appointment. Is there anything else I should know?”

Gaara paused, considering what he wished he would have known before he had begun working in the field. “It’s important to remember that every case is unique. Books can’t be applied to every situation. Sometimes we have to take the information with a grain of salt, because it can’t always conform to the wellbeing of every child. Being willing to bend where necessary is vital.”

“I will do my best. It may take me some time, but I will work on being more fluid. Thank you, Gaara. I am hoping this will help get me onto a path of a more fulfilling life.”

Sai stood, nodding slightly in farewell as he made his way to the door. Before he fully left, he paused and turned to Gaara.

“Did you know that Asahi means ‘Morning?’” He looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “Hopefully it will be a reminder to him that darkness always leaves if we are patient enough to wait for the sun to rise.” He turned and walked away, an urgency in his step that Gaara hadn’t seen before. He walked purposefully now.

Gaara turned Sai’s words over in his head. For someone who struggled to effectively interact with others and express his emotions, what he had said was very deep and meaningful. Gaara scolded himself slightly, realizing he had looked too hard at Sai’s surface, forgetting that there were levels to people’s personalities. Some just had a harder time showing it than others. 

He was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts, when his phone buzzed from the inside of his desk. Normally he put it on silent, but he hadn’t had the chance to seeing as Sai had caught him as soon as he got into work. Gaara pulled the phone out, checking the name. His heart fluttered as he saw that it wasn’t his brother telling him that they were out of toilet paper, but a text message from Lee.

Lee

Gaara! I am stopping by a sushi place near your branch soon. Would it be alright if I brought you lunch?

Gaara smiled, knowing exactly which place he was talking about. He knew that there were sushi places much closer to the Konoha branch. He grew excited at the thought that Lee went out of his way to conveniently be near Gaara’s building in the off chance he would be free for lunch. He typed out a quick response letting him know that he was free and that he’d be more than happy to have him eat with him in his office. Lee had very excitedly responded that he would be there at noon, meaning Gaara had a little more than two torturous hours knowing that Lee would be coming to see him, out of all people.

A little before Lee was expected to arrive, Gaara frantically puttered around his small space, ensuring everything was in order and that it was as comfortable and inviting as he could possibly make an office. He was glad that his coworkers were diligently working on their own projects, otherwise they would have thought him slightly crazy. After he had moved his stapler to a different location on his desk for the third time, he heard a familiar voice at the front of the office. 

“I have brought food for Gaara!” Lee said, breaking the silence of the usually very quiet Suna branch. 

“Just leave it here, I’ll be sure it gets to him,” the receptionist replied, doing her best to get the loud visitor to leave as quickly as possible. Lee’s bright laugh followed quickly after. It gave Gaara the beautiful visual of Lee’s dimple accenting his wide smile. His heart leapt at the thought.

“I am actually here to have lunch with him! I am his friend, Rock Lee.”

“Rock Lee, huh?”

Gaara’s heart dropped down into his stomach. Temari must have heard the commotion and gone out to make sure everything was being handled properly. Gaara wanted to avoid all interaction between the two as best as he could. He didn’t want Temari to make Lee cry.

He sped out of his office and made a beeline for the front desk. There he saw Temari talking to Lee, her arms crossed in front of her as she smirked slightly. Lee was his usual chipper self, once again brushing off any attempt of intimidation, just as he had done when he first met Gaara.

“That is so wonderful that you get to work together!” Lee said as Gaara walked up to the two of them. Lee gasped slightly when he saw him. “Gaara! Hello! I finally was able to meet your lovely sister!”

Gaara nodded at Lee before quickly redirecting his attention to Temari. He gave her a warning glare, one that he had mastered when he was much younger. Temari met his icy stare, breaking after a few seconds and opting to wink at Gaara instead. He rolled her eyes at her, though he was glad she didn’t attempt to embarrass him or reveal his true feelings to Lee. Not fully aware of how the siblings communicated, Lee looked between them, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Er, is everything okay?” he asked, adjusting the bags in his hand slightly. “I understand if I am being a nuisance, I can leave! I just wanted to see you… As well as making sure you are eating, of course!”

Temari didn’t break her eye contact with Gaara as she addressed Lee. “It’s no bother at all, Lee. I’m glad to have finally met you.” She cast a sideways glance over to Lee who was slowly growing more uncomfortable. “Enjoy your lunch, boys.” She clapped Lee on the back hard, nudging him in the direction of Gaara’s office. Temari was very strong, but for how fit and well-balanced Lee was, it had no effect on him.

“Shall we?” he asked, grinning down at Gaara. There was that dimple again. Gaara resisted the urge to reach out and touch his face, settling his thumb into the small indent.

“Of course.”

Gaara led Lee down the hallway and into his office. Once inside, he closed the door, a silent indicator to his coworkers that he would be unavailable for a bit. He just hoped they would take the hint and not bother him as they had a tendency to do whenever he was eating lunch. He turned, placing his back flush against the door and looked at Lee who had placed the food out on the desk and sat expectantly in one of the chairs in front of him. 

“I hope you’re hungry,” he said, looking back at Gaara with a grin. “I ordered a lot!”

Gaara smiled back at him before taking the chair next to him and scooting slightly closer. Lee handed over a pair of chopsticks, which Gaara took, making a point to brush his fingers over Lee’s as he grabbed them. He may have imagined it, but he liked to think that the slight pink on Lee’s face was due to their sudden contact.

Gaara thanked Lee for the food, and they began to eat. They ate in a comfortable silence, Gaara not having much to say and Lee having multiple pieces of sushi in his mouth at the same time. After a few minutes of eating, Lee’s phone began to ring. He quickly swallowed and looked over at Gaara apologetically.

“It’s Tenten! Would it be alright if I took this? I promise I will be quick!”

Gaara nodded and turned back to the food, doing his best to not eavesdrop, though it was hard to not when Lee was sitting right next to him.

“You’re coming home next week to visit! Oh, Tenten, that is so wonderful!” he said, tears growing in the corner of his eyes. Gaara could hear a muffled voice on the other end doing what sounded like scolding Lee.

“You are right,” he replied to the muffled voice, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I have just missed you so much!”

The voice on the other line softened, and they fell back into regular conversation. Tenten must have asked Lee what he was doing, as he suddenly blurted out, “I’m having lunch with Gaara!” he paused, then blushed at whatever she had said. “I do not know. Let me ask. Gaara, would you like to meet Tenten? You could have dinner at our house!”

Gaara nodded, unwilling to give a verbal response and risk having a squeaky voice in his nervousness. Lee pumped a fist in the air, letting Tenten know of the good news. After a few more minutes of talking, they ended the phone call, Lee profusely letting Tenten know how much he loved her. Once he had hung up, he grabbed his chopsticks and began eating again. 

“It is kind of warm in here!” Lee said, removing his gray beanie and setting it onto Gaara’s desk. 

“Oh, I can open a window if you’d like,” Gaara said, beginning to stand up. Lee placed a hand on his leg, forcing him back into his chair. 

“That is alright! I will be fine. Besides, the more you sweat, the more calories you burn!” Gaara did his best to not think about Lee sweating, ultimately causing him to start sweating.

“How has your day been so far?” Lee asked, taking a swig out of the heavily stickered water bottle he carried with him.

“Quite productive,” Gaara answered, placing his chopsticks down. “I spoke with one of the policemen I had worked with on Asahi’s case. He has decided that he would like to become a foster parent, so we discussed what that would look like for him. I think he’ll be really successful.”

Lee’s eyebrows drew down in concentration as he looked up to the left. “Policeman, huh? What is his name?”

“Sai.”

“Ah, yes! I knew him growing up! We were in a home together for a brief amount of time and later ended up going to school together. He is quite stiff on the outside, but unfortunately it’s not much of his choice. His brother died our first year of highschool. He was the only consistent family he had. It was very sad.”

Gaara nodded. “That’s what he told me. But, it seems that he has done his best to get better and has picked up some hobbies, as well as regularly attends therapy. I think he will be an excellent foster parent.”

“Oh, absolutely! He connects very well to others trauma, though he isn’t able to express it fully. Both he and the children will be able to work on opening up more. It will be wonderful for everyone involved!”

“It’s similar to our situations,” Gaara said, looking over at Lee and smiling. “Because of what we’ve experienced, we’re better able to relate to the kids and help them as we wish we would have been helped.”

“Exactly.” Lee smiled back at Gaara. “We’re also better able to relate to each other. I always imagine that I would do well as a foster parent. I think that you would too.” Lee gave a light laugh. “I know that I would adopt children with you!”

At the sight of Gaara’s steadily growing blush and widening eyes, Lee backpedaled, scratching the back of his neck. “Because you are so capable! And smart. It would just make sense!”

“Right. It just makes sense.”

Gaara wasn’t convinced by Lee’s explanation. You don’t just say you would adopt children with anyone, right? It was becoming increasingly hard for Gaara to not confess his feelings to Lee on the spot. He wasn’t sure why he was still holding back, but he reasoned that he still couldn’t do anything. Though they were now friends, no longer strictly professionals, he wasn’t sure how Lee would take it. As Lee finished his food, Gaara decided that the next time he saw Lee he would ask him to dinner. No more beating around the bush or waiting for Lee to make a move. It was time for him to return to his usual boldness, seizing the opportunity for a relationship. He knew that even if Lee didn’t return his affections, they would still be able to maintain a healthy friendship. Plus, if he waited until the next time they saw each other, it would give Gaara a chance to plan the date, as well as build up more courage.

“Well, I suppose I should let you get back to your work!” Lee said, standing up and grabbing the garbage off Gaara’s desk. “Thank you so much for spending this time with me. It was lovely to see you outside of the program.”

“Thank you very much for bringing me the food. I also enjoyed spending more time with you. We’ll have to do it again soon.” Lee nodded, flashing Gaara his usual brilliant smile. 

“Take care.”

Lee turned and exited Gaara’s office. He walked out of the building, Gaara watching him go. He smiled to himself, enveloped in the comfort that Lee gave him anytime he was around. Regardless of Gaara’s mood prior to Lee’s visits, he never failed to make him feel ten times better. He turned to his desk, planning to get more work done, when he realized that Lee had left his beanie.

Hoping to catch him in time, Gaara grabbed the hat from his desk and sped out of the building. Luckily, Lee had just barely gotten to his car. Gaara ran up, attempting to catch his breath with his hands on his knees.

“Gaara! Is everything okay?” Lee said, his face showing slight concern.

“Yes,” Gaara replied, straightening as he attempted to control his breathing. “You just forgot your hat.”

“Oh! Thank you so much!” Lee grabbed the beanie from Gaara, slipping it back over his shiny, black hair. “Have a great day!”

Lee opened his car door, but before he could get inside, Gaara stopped him.

“Wait, Lee.”

Technically, this was the next time he had seen Lee.

Which meant-

“I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner sometime,” Gaara said, his words somewhat rushed and clunky as he continued to struggle to breath, though no longer due to the running.

Lee paused, his body halfway into the car. He popped back up suddenly, slamming the door and turning back to Gaara.

“Dinner? As in…”

“A date.”

Lee broke into a huge grin, bigger than Gaara had ever seen. Luckily for both of them, no tears were shed on Lee’s part.

“I would want nothing more!” he responded, reaching down to take Gaara’s hand in his. “I had been trying to build the courage to ask you, but was never sure how. I am very much looking forward to it.”

Gaara smiled back at Lee, relief coursing through his veins. “Wonderful. Perfect! I will plan something and let you know when it’s decided. I will text you?”

“That sounds great!” Lee swept Gaara up into a tight hug, lifting him slightly from the ground. “Thank you so much,” he whispered into Gaara’s ear causing shivers to run through his body.

“Of course.”

Lee set Gaara back down and gave him one last squeeze.

“I will talk to you soon.”

Gaara nodded, the thrill of finally asking Lee out overwhelming his ability to speak. Lee said goodbye and got back into his car, waving at Gaara once more for good measure. He watched Lee drive away, giddiness running through him as the reality of what just happened hit him.

He had asked Lee out. And Lee had said yes.

He was finally going on a date with Lee.


	10. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara finally goes on his date with Lee!

Gaara spent the rest of the day an anxious mess. He had hoped that finally asking Lee on a date and confessing his feelings would clear any nervousness he had felt, but it had done the opposite. Of course he was relieved that Lee returned his affections, at least partly, and that he had said yes, but Gaara was worried that he would ruin the fun friendship they already had. What if he did or said something wrong on the date? What if Lee had said yes only as a courtesy? What if he got too nervous and threw up all over Lee?

He really didn’t want to throw up all over Lee.

After work, he raced to pick up Kankuro, hoping to get some good big-brotherly advice. Though Kankuro hadn’t had too much experience as far as dating went, he was usually great at coming up with solid relationship advice when it really came down to it. Gaara knew he would have to endure some teasing first, but the pay off would, hopefully, outweigh the pain. As Gaara pulled into the parking lot of the skate shop, Kankuro came bounding out. He barked a laugh as Gaara pulled a face at him in response to the rude gesture he was making with his hand. He slid into the seat, buckled, and loudly asked, “What the FUCK is up?”

“Well, actually, something is up for once. I need your help. I… I have a date.”

“Well, no shit! That’s awesome!” Kankuro said, holding his hand out for a high five. Gaara tapped his hand quickly, then placed it back onto the steering wheel to reverse out of his parking spot. “Who’s it with?”

“Lee.”

Kankuro yelled loudly, causing Gaara to wince. He hit the dashboard of the car excitedly causing Gaara to almost back into a pole.

“Would you knock it off?” Gaara growled, putting his hand over Kankuro’s arms. “You’re going to set off the air bags.”

“Nah, I’m not. Though I do so appreciate that you would think me to be a strong man capable of setting off air bags.”

Gaara sat silent for a moment, waiting for Kankuro to finish his dramatic ramblings.

“Anyway! You have a date with Lee! Way to go, kid! How did that happen?”

“Well, he brought me lunch at work today and after he left, I decided I would ask him out the next time I saw him. He just so happened to leave his hat, and I ran out to give it to him, meaning that was the next time I saw him. So, I asked him out.” Gaara shrugged.

“He left something in your office? How cliche,” Kankuro said. “But, whatever works! What are you gonna do? What are you gonna wear? Are you gonna make out with him?”

Gaara threw an irritated glare toward his brother. “I don’t know the answer to any of those questions. I’ve just barely asked him. I haven’t figured anything else out. I’m sure we’ll just go to dinner then maybe go on a walk.”

Kankuro nodded seriously, his finger under his chin. “Uh huh. So, what are you thinking about wearing?”

Gaara gestured to the simple work outfit he currently had on. “Probably just something like this.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Kankuro yelled, causing Gaara to swerve slightly. “You can’t go on a date with a skater dressed like a librarian! Come on, we’re going to the mall to get you some skatin’ duds.”

“Kankuro, that doesn’t seem necessary,” Gaara said, sighing slightly in frustration. “He’s never seen me in skater clothes, so why should I start dressing that way now?”

Kankuro grabbed the back of Gaara’s seat and pulled himself into his space.

“Gaara… I’m your older brother… Listen to me…” he whispered, little drops of spit flecking Gaara’s face.

“Whatever. I guess you do know more about skaters than I do,” Gaara grumbled, pulling off of the street they were currently on to head to the mall. Kankuro cheered in victory, excited at the prospect of a shitty mall pretzel.

Once they had arrived, Kankuro pulled Gaara in to the nearest skate shop. The music was loud and edgy, the lighting fairly dim. Kankuro immediately felt at home, humming along to the song as he began to look through the different racks of clothing. He gasped excitedly when he got to a tie dye purple sweatshirt that had roller blades on the front.

“Gaara! Look!”

“I thought we were looking for an outfit for me?” Gaara asked, pushing different shirts back to look at each one. They were all decorated in different brands that Gaara didn’t recognize, but was sure that Lee would. 

“Doesn’t mean I can’t get a little somethin’,” Kankuro grumbled, placing the shirt back onto the rack. They continued to look through the shop, Kankuro showing Gaara different shirts and being shot down each time. Finally, after what felt like an eternity for Kankuro, Gaara agreed on a maroon sweatshirt with a random skating brand label, and dark gray ripped pants. Kankuro tried to convince him to buy a new pair of Vans, but was unsuccessful. Before they left, he ran back to grab the purple sweatshirt, buying it and putting it on in the store. Gaara breathed a laugh at him, then left, making his way to the pretzel vendor he knew Kankuro would want to eat at. 

They drove home in silence, Kankuro seemingly content in his new shirt as he munched on a soft pretzel. Throughout the entire drive, Gaara couldn’t help but obsess over the date and how it would play out. What restaurant should he take Lee to? How would the walk go after? Would they hold hands?

Would they kiss?

Gaara pushed the thoughts out of his mind and focused on the restaurant aspect of the date. Luckily, he had come to a conclusion by the time he got home. There was a fairly nice restaurant near the park Lee’s program was at. Gaara figured they could eat there then enjoy the rest of the night walking through the park. He hadn’t seen much of it outside the skate park, since he never had much of a reason to venture past the cement bowls.

He walked into his apartment, said goodnight to Kankuro, then began rehearsing his phone call to Lee as he hung up his new clothes. Once he felt as mentally prepared as possible, he pulled out his phone and selected Lee’s name. Before Gaara could hang up out of nervousness, Lee answered.

“Gaara! Hello! How are you?”

“Hello, Lee. I am doing well… how are you?”

“Oh, I am absolutely fantastic! I had a wonderful day, especially since I was able to eat lunch with you and then you asked me on a date! I have been so excited ever since!” Lee replied, hardly pausing to take a breath.

“So... you would still like to go out?” Gaara asked, sitting on his bed. “Because I don’t want you to feel pressured either way. I still consider you a good friend and if you don’t want to take it any further than that I understand…” Gaara silently cursed himself, frustrated that he had let his doubts get the best of him.

Lee was silent for a moment. “Gaara, you are such a special person. I would love nothing more than to go on a date with you,” Lee replied, his voice soft. “Please don’t doubt that.”

Gaara smiled. “Okay. Thank you, Lee. I think you are great as well.”

“Thank you very much, Gaara. You are so kind. Now, what shall we do? Would you like me to plan it?”

“I was thinking we could eat at the restaurant by the park your program is at, then maybe take a walk after? I am open to suggestions, of course.”

“That sounds wonderful!” Lee said excitedly, causing Gaara to have to hold the phone away from his ear a few inches. “When works for you?”

“How about this Friday? After work, maybe around 7?” Gaara offered.

“That sounds fantastic! If you give me your address, I will pick you up!”

“Oh, that’s okay, you don’t have to do that. It’s kind of out of your way.”

“No, I absolutely insist! Please, Gaara!” Lee whined. 

“Okay,” Gaara said, still smiling. “I will text you my address. I’ll see you on Friday.”

“I cannot wait!” Lee said excitedly. “Have a wonderful rest of your week.”

“Good night.”

Gaara got off the phone, his anxiety and nervousness now turned into excitement and butterflies. Lee wanted to pick him up. Kankuro had helped him pick out his outfit. Now all that was left to do was wait. 

The week went by quickly, Gaara having to take part of Temari’s job in the middle of the week due to a doctor’s appointment. He evaluated one of his coworkers, estimating their raise and their performance within the company. He felt strange reviewing someone who technically was on the same level as him, but he was glad that they all took it in stride, understanding the special circumstances of the case. By the time Friday rolled around, Gaara was both tired from the extra responsibilities, as well as excited and anxious. The mix of opposing emotions was exhausting, but in a good way. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was fulfilling multiple aspects of his life and not just focusing on his career.

Right as Gaara got home from work, he began to get ready. He took a long, hot shower, using all of the nice smelling products Kankuro used, though not as heavy handed as he might have. After stepping out, he ran some mousse through his hair, an extra step that he normally didn’t take, but it always helped him to feel his best as it nicely accentuated his deep red waves. He dressed in his new, Kankuro approved, outfit, and grabbed an ice cube from the freezer, wrapping it in a wash cloth and placing it under his eyes. He read somewhere online that it helped with dark circles, and boy, did he need the help. Unfortunately, it only seemed to make his skin more red. He sighed and set the washcloth down. As he began to put his shoes on, he heard the doorbell ring. His heart began to race and he panicked, suddenly doing his best to think of any way he might be able to get out of it. He had been so excited all week, but the thought of going on a date with Lee, and possibly embarrassing himself, was too much for him to handle. Maybe he could pretend to be sick? But if he claimed to have a fever, Lee would place his hand on his forehead and offer to make him soup… He would have to think of another way out of it. 

Unfortunately, Kankuro beat his racing mind, pulling the door open with a, “Lee! So good to see you, man. Come on in, the squirt’s still gettin’ ready. You know how he is.” Gaara swallowed the lump in his throat and made his way down the hall to see Lee standing in their living room, talking to Kankuro.

He looked amazing. His hair had been pushed off of his forehead, though this time it was due to product and not a snapback. He wore a deep green button down shirt with dark blue jeans, this time without any holes in them. Even though they were still a few feet apart, Gaara could smell the light, woodsy scent of his cologne. And it smelled really good.

“Gaara! You look wonderful!” Lee said, breaking Gaara out of his trance. He gave him a huge smile, his dimple punctuating his joy. Gaara looked down at what he was wearing, back up at Lee, and then glared at Kankuro.

“I told you I should just wear one of my usual outfits,” he growled. “Now I’m underdressed. Lee, one second, I’m going to go change.”

“No, Gaara! It is fine, you look great!” he heard Lee say in the background as he walked toward his room. He threw his clothes off, pulling on some simple black slacks and grabbing his favorite maroon button down. Just as he was about to put it on, he heard Kankuro down the hall.

“Yeah, he practically begged me to get him a new outfit. Didn’t want you to think he wasn’t cool enough, I guess.”

Gaara tore his door open and walked over to Kankuro. 

“Kankuro, I think it’d be best if you went to your room,” he said, glaring Kankuro as intensely as he could. “Lee can wait on the couch for a few minutes. I’m almost ready.”

Gaara turned to Lee to offer an apology for his brother’s idiocy, but Lee was already staring at his bare chest, his eyes wide and his cheeks pink. Gaara muttered a quick apology, to which Lee nodded dazedly, and grabbed Kankuro by the collar, pulling him down the hall to his room.

Once he was finally dressed in a date appropriate outfit, he made his way back to where Lee was sitting on the couch, his posture perfect.

“I’m really sorry, Lee. Are you ready to go?”

“No problem at all! You still look wonderful,” he said, touching Gaara lightly on the elbow. “I am so excited to spend tonight with you!”

Gaara smiled up at him. “I’m very excited, too.”

They walked out to Lee’s car, their hands brushing lightly as they did so. Lee opened Gaara’s side of the car, touching his back gently as he slid into the passenger seat. He ran around to the other side and turned the car on.

“So!” he said brightly, turning to look at Gaara. “Where to?”

“It’s a restaurant near the park your program is at. Head that way, and I’ll direct you from there.”

Lee nodded and began to pull out of the parking space. They made idle chatter as they drove, discussing their week and different aspects of their day. Gaara was glad they had the same career, it made it much easier to discuss the details of his day to day, especially since Lee was bound under the same level of confidentiality as he was when it came to the children and their cases. Not too long after, they pulled up to the restaurant, Lee making sure to run around the car to open it for Gaara before he was able to get out. Wanting to return the favor, Gaara opened the door to the restaurant for Lee, who thanked him profusely. Once they had been seated and had ordered, they were met with a somewhat awkward silence that always played a part in every first date.

“So…” they both began at the first time, their eyes widening as they talked over each other.

“Go ahead,” Gaara said, gesturing to Lee with his hand.

“No, I am so sorry, please, go!” Lee said, waving his hands in front of him.

“Lee.”

“Ah, okay! I was just going to ask,” Lee paused, his face turning slightly pink as he played with his hands on top of the table, “well, you initiated all of this. How did you know you wanted to date me? I am not really the one people usually go for. Not that I am not happy to be here! I really am. There is nothing I would rather be doing right now! I am just… well, curious I suppose.”

“You’re fine, Lee. Well, to be honest with you, at first I was simply there to evaluate the program. It was my job and I was going to get in and out as quickly as possible. But you do so well with the kids and you have such a big heart. You’re very charming.” Lee’s blushed deepend as did his smile. “And it did help that the first time I saw you, you happened to be skating upside down which gave me a rather nice view of your… abdominal region.”

Lee laughed, a reaction that Gaara hadn’t expected.

“Some people seem to think they are rather nice looking, though I do not think about them much! I am far more concerned with my body’s capabilities, rather than what it looks like physically. But thank you so much, you are very kind to have said all of that!”

Gaara nodded and took a sip of his water. “Well then, why did you agree to come with me?”

“What?”

“If I had to answer, so do you,” Gaara said, teasing Lee slightly. “Why did you agree to go out with me?”

“Oh! Well, I knew from the time I met you that you were different. I found myself wanting to spend more and more time with you and would think about what you might be doing at any given time of the day. Not in a creepy way, of course! It took me a while to realize my romantic feelings for you, but when you stayed the night at my house and came out wearing my clothes, it felt like something I would want to do often. Which, you don’t normally feel for colleagues, or even friends. Tenten and I talked about it quite a bit after, actually.”

Lee finished and looked over at Gaara who stared straight at him, his eyes wide. “I am so sorry, Gaara, did I say something wrong?”

It took Gaara a moment to answer. “No, Lee, I… I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect that answer. I figured it was a simple courtesy for you to say yes.”

Lee’s eyebrows drew down in concern and determination. He placed a hand over where Gaara’s sat on the table. “Gaara, I love spending time with you and I have greatly been looking forward to this. Anyone who gets to be in your company is very lucky. It will never be a courtesy for me to spend time with you, as it makes me very happy. It helps me feel fulfilled.”

Gaara’s heart churned at Lee’s word choice. “Fulfilled” was exactly what he had been looking for and had subsequently found in Lee. It was interesting to see how closely their wants and needs had been aligning, as different as their personalities were. 

“I really enjoy spending time with you, too, Lee.” Gaara turned his hand, grabbing Lee’s in his own. Lee squeezed it back, smiling at him gently. They sat that way for a few more seconds before pulling away, the arrival of their food ruining the heart warming moment. Gaara hoped they would be able to hold hands again later.

They continued to joke and talk as they ate. Even though they had spent time together before, even something as intimate as sleeping in the same house and wearing Lee’s clothes, Gaara couldn’t help but feel that it felt so much more natural and fulfilling knowing that they were on a date. He was glad he had been able to confess to Lee and that it turned out in his favor. He found himself often looking up when Lee was eating, watching him eat with the same fierce determination as he gave everything else. When Lee caught him staring, he would give him a small smile, which Lee would return wholeheartedly. 

Once they had finished eating, and Gaara had swiped the bill much to Lee’s chagrin, they made their way to the park, opting to walk over and leave Lee’s car where it sat in the restaurant parking lot. Their hands continued to brush as they walked, but Gaara couldn’t gain the courage to grab Lee’s hand. He had always been somewhat distant as far as physical affection went, and still struggled at times to initiate contact. Luckily, he didn’t have to initiate, because after the fifth time their hands brushed together, Lee reached down and took Gaara’s hand in his own. He looked over at Gaara who smiled and nodded, a silent affirmation that he was okay with Lee holding his hand. He wanted to yell that it was more than okay, that he had wanted nothing more than to hold his hand, but opted instead to give Lee’s hand a tight squeeze which he quickly returned. 

They walked through a part of the park Gaara hadn’t been to before, their hands a solid, warm weight in the other’s. They slowly made their way to the skate park as the sun set. Lee hadn’t brought his board with him, but he made a point to visit each time he was at the park, just in case one of the kids were there, which there usually was. One that Gaara had seen going since the beginning of the program saw them walking up and ran over to Lee, board in hand.

“Lee! Lee!” he yelled, coming to an abrupt stop in front of the two. Gaara went to let go of Lee’s hand, but Lee held onto it firmly.

“Hello, Hiroko!” Lee said with a laugh, pulling Gaara slightly as he bent down to get on the boy’s level. Gaara did the same, crouching next to Lee and leaning on him for support. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m tryna get my kick flip nailed, but I’m struggling. Can you teach me again? Please?”

Lee looked over at Gaara, wanting to make sure he would be okay with it. Gaara smiled and nodded at him. Lee grinned and pulled Gaara up gently.

“Of course I will, Hiroko! But, I will need to borrow your board if that is alright.”

Hiroko willingly gave Lee his board, chasing after Lee as he placed it on the ground and sped off. Gaara watched Lee demonstrate the trick a few times offering advice before he stepped off to allow the child to try it himself, giving him praise as he nailed the trick. 

“Well done, Hiroko! Now, please excuse me. I need to return to my date!”

Lee bounded back over to Gaara, the sound of gagging coming from Hiroko at the mention of a date. He slid his hand back into Gaara’s lacing their fingers and grabbing his arm gently. They continued to walk through the park, the sun dipping low in the horizon.

“You’re so graceful when you skate, Lee,” Gaara said, looking over at him and smiling.

“Perhaps I was a dancer in another life!” Lee said, the sound of his laughter filling the space as well as Gaara’s chest. To try and prove his point, Lee began to dance, though it wasn’t the best dancing. He turned Gaara under his arm before pushing him out next to him, rolling him into his chest. He wrapped his other arm around them and they stood like that for a moment, laughing and trying to catch their breath. Once they had calmed down, Lee grabbed Gaara’s hand and pulled him gently toward a park bench where they sat down to rest.

The stars began to come out as the air grew slightly chilly. Lee put his arm around Gaara who leaned in to the touch, lightly laying his head onto his shoulder. They breathed in rhythm with each other, Gaara’s hands absently tracing patterns into Lee’s other hand. Lee rested his cheek on Gaara’s head and watched him turn his hand over, mesmerized. 

“Gaara?” Lee said, interrupting Gaara’s movements.

“Hm?”

Lee sat back slightly and looked at Gaara. “I pride myself in being as open and forward as I am able in regards to my emotions. Life is too short to not allow yourself to feel things fully. I feel wonderful when I am with you and this night has been far better than I had hoped it to be.

“I hope that I am not misreading the situation, or that I will not make you uncomfortable. Mutual consent is very important to me, as I am sure that it is important to you. But, every time I am near you, I cannot help but feel the need to become closer to you, both physically and emotionally. I want us to fully embrace the passion of our youth together.”

Gaara smiled, though his brow was drawn down in confusion. “What are you trying to say, Lee?”

“Gaara. May I kiss you?”

Gaara’s face flushed immediately as he gave a small nod. Lee blinked, surprised at Gaara’s willingness. He gently laced a hand in the hair behind Gaara’s head, softly pulling him closer. Gaara placed one hand on Lee’s strong forearm, and the other found its way to Lee’s face, his thumb slotting into Gaara’s favorite spot.

He was right. His thumb fit perfectly into Lee’s dimple.

Lee closed the distance between them, softly placing his lips onto Gaara’s. His heart raced at the foreign, intimate touch. He hadn’t known what to expect, but it felt really nice. Lee smelled really good as usual, and his lips were incredibly soft. Lee pulled back slightly before placing another kiss onto Gaara’s lips. This time it felt a bit more natural, now that Gaara knew how it felt. He tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss and causing Lee’s hand to tighten in his hair. Lee pulled back again, breathing deeply as he placed a soft kiss onto Gaara’s cheek.

“Thank you,” he whispered, pulling Gaara into his chest.

“For what?” Gaara wrapped his arms around Lee’s back, sighing contentedly.

“For showing me how to love like this again.”

They sat on the bench for a little while longer, silently enjoying each other’s company. Lee yawned loudly, signaling that it was time to return home. Gaara didn’t want to leave Lee’s side, and hoped that someday he wouldn’t have to. But for now he would cherish the time he did have with Lee, regardless of how long it was. Once in the car, Lee reached over, taking Gaara’s hand back in his own. The clasped hands rested on Lee’s knee as they drove, humming quietly along with the radio as the streetlights flashed by.

Back at the apartment complex, Lee hopped out of the car, opening Gaara’s door as he had done the rest of the night. He walked him to his apartment, their hands still joined. Gaara wasn’t sure that he would feel complete without Lee’s hand in his own ever again. 

“Thank you so much for this evening,” Lee began once they had gotten to Gaara’s door. “I do hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did. We should go out again sometime soon. Though this time it will be my treat!” Lee added quickly.

“I would really like that, Lee. Thank you so much. For everything.”

He placed his hand back onto it’s spot on Lee’s face. He stood on his tip toes, leaning in for a kiss.

Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing Kankuro in a rather dingy bathrobe holding a bag of garbage.

“Oh, shit. Hey guys, uh…” Kankuro slammed the door, leaving Lee and Gaara to stand on the doormat very confused, and slightly disturbed. Lee turned back to face Gaara who suddenly broke into a laugh. Lee joined in, they both clutching their stomachs. After a few moments, Lee took Gaara’s cheek gently in his hand and leaned in, kissing him gently as he smiled. 

“Goodnight, Gaara,” he whispered into his lips causing shivers to run up and down his spine. 

Gaara placed another gentle kiss to his mouth. “Goodnight, Lee.”

After watching him get back into his car and slowly drive away, Gaara turned back to his door with a smile. He opened it to reveal Kankuro standing in the same exact spot, still in his old bathrobe and holding a bag full of garbage. 

“Were you guys laughing at me?” he asked, his face pulled into a pout. Gaara laughed at that, confirming that they were, in fact, laughing at him.

After helping Kankuro clean up the kitchen while giving him the details of his date, he got ready for bed, slipping under the covers as a heavy, comfortable exhaustion set in. He sent a quick text to Lee making sure he got home safely. Lee confirmed he had, followed by a long message about how much fun he had and how much he enjoyed Gaara’s company. Gaara opted to respond in the morning and fell asleep to the knowledge that he was in love with the most handsome and loving man in the world.

And, just maybe, that man was in love with him, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A dancer in another life, huh? He was!! In Vitality!! Lee is an amazing dancer and he meets Gaara and I hnnnggghhhh ;-;-;-;-; read it!!!!!  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/17667878/chapters/41669897


	11. On Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara meets Lee's foster sister, Tenten!

Gaara allowed himself to sleep in late the next day. Once he woke up, he stretched and yawned in bed, shifting slightly under his warm blanket. He grabbed his phone to respond to Lee’s text, but realized he had a missed call from him. Not wanting to interrupt whatever he might be doing, and not one to really enjoy talking on the phone, he sent Lee a text, first thanking him for his kind words and reciprocating as he was able, then asked why he had called. Lee responded asking him if it would be okay to call, followed by a small green heart. Gaara beat him to the chase by calling him first.

“Gaara! Hello! Good morning! I hope I did not wake you up!” he heard Lee say brightly.

“Good morning, Lee. You didn’t wake me up,” he said, glancing over at the clock to see it read 10:30. “I’ve been up for… a while now.”

Gaara heard Lee laugh, his voice slightly crackling through the phone. “I am so glad! I hope you rested well. I wanted to call and invite you to my house for dinner tomorrow night! Tenten is in town and would really like to meet you.” Gaara heard a harsh whisper in the background, who he assumed was Tenten. “Oh, and she also wanted to meet Kankuro, seeing as he has been spending a lot of time with Neji lately.” A whispered protest was then heard, followed by a swift smack. It sounded like Neji was there, too.

“I would love to come for dinner. I believe that Kankuro will actually be out skating with some friends tomorrow night, so he wouldn’t be able to make it, but I will be there. What would you like me to bring?”

“Oh, please do not worry about bringing anything! All we need is your wonderful self!”

“That sounds great,” Gaara replied, sleepily rubbing his tired eyes as he smiled. 

“Wonderful! Oh, I am so excited for you to meet her. She is so very amazing! I will see you here at 5, tomorrow night. Thank you so much, Gaara! I hope you have a splendid Saturday! Please let me know if you happen to need anything!”

“Thank you, Lee, you do the same. Goodbye.”

“Take care!”

Gaara hung up, snuggling back into his pillow. His peace was short lived as Kankuro burst into his room and leapt onto his bed, landing right on his chest. He groaned and did his best to push his brother off of him.

“Good morning, ya little snot,” Kankuro sang, laying next to Gaara and resting his head in his hand. “Did I hear you say my name in here? Did you really miss me that much? It was just one night!”

“No,” Gaara said, rolling his eyes. “I was talking to Lee. He invited me to his house to meet his foster sister tomorrow. He mentioned inviting you since you’ve been spending time with Neji, but I told them you already had plans.”

“Ah, so Neji talks about me, huh?” Kankuro asked, a self satisfied look in his eye.

“I don’t know. I’m assuming so.”

“Hell yeah. Anyway, thanks for letting them know. I wouldn’t want to meet her yet anyway, from what Neji was saying she’s super overprotective. Sounds pretty scary, if you ask me.”

Anxiety grew in Gaara’s chest, but he tried to hide it. “Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t ask you, then. Can you leave now?”

“Sure thing,” Kankuro said, poking Gaara in the stomach. “Good luck tomorrow night. I’m headed out and will probably stay the night at my friend’s house. Text me if you need anything, ‘kay?”

Gaara nodded. “Please skate safely, Kankuro.”

“You know I always do.”

“I think the forty five stitches you’ve had prove otherwise.”

Kankuro laughed and hit Gaara over the head with a pillow. He scrambled quickly out of the room, narrowly missing the one Gaara flung back. 

Gaara listened to Kankuro putter around the apartment before he finally left, slamming the door a bit too hard. He sighed and rolled off his bed, deciding that it was time to start his day. After a quick shower, he sat down on the couch with a cup of coffee, planning to work on some case files. He usually didn’t mind taking work like this home with him. It gave him more time to study and focus each case without worrying about being interrupted by his coworkers. He worked diligently throughout the day, not realizing how much time had passed until his stomach growled, shocking him out of the trance he had been in. Looking at the clock, he decided to order take out, reasoning that it was too late to try and cook something. Once his food had arrived, he ate slowly, not wanting to finish and have nothing to do. As he chewed, he glanced over at the succulents sitting on the counter. One had begun sprouting a small purple flower on top of it. He smiled, glad that they were thriving as much as he was. After flicking through television stations and finding nothing interesting to watch, he headed to bed, excited that he would be able to spend time with Lee the next day, even if he would potentially be put on trial by his well-meaning, over protective, foster sister. 

The next day followed much of the same pattern for Gaara. An hour before he had to arrive for dinner, he got ready, overthinking every aspect of his outfit. He went for something simple, not wanting to look overdone, and decided last minute to wear the ripped skater jeans he had bought with Kankuro. After looking in the mirror for the fifth time, he decided he was ready. He got in the car and turned on some light music hoping to calm his anxiety. He evened his breathing, reminding himself that Lee would be there. When he was with Lee, even a bad situation could be okay. Once outside of his house, he reluctantly put the car in park and made his way up the sidewalk, glancing at a new car parked in their driveway. He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked on the door. Well, at least he would have if the door hadn’t been flung open just as he attempted to. 

His breath was instantly knocked out of his lungs as Lee grabbed him around the middle, picking him up slightly and squeezing him tight. Gaara hugged him back as best as he could, his ribs aching from the pressure. He instantly felt the comfort that Lee’s presence always seemed to bring.

“Lee! You’re going to hurt him!” Gaara heard a scolding voice say from down the hall. Lee set Gaara down and spun around. Gaara teetered on his feet slightly, then poked his head to the side of Lee. Tenten, Lee’s foster sister, stood down the hall, wearing ripped overalls and a striped shirt, in perfect skater fashion. It seemed that she and Lee had a very similar fashion sense. Her hair was done up in what seemed to be her signature hairstyle, two buns on top of her head.

“Tenten, no I’m not!” Lee said, his voice whining slightly. “He is very strong!” Lee put his arm around Gaara’s shoulder, tucking him into himself defensively. 

“Lee, give him some space! Damn, this guy really agreed to go on a date with you?”

Lee let go of Gaara and began heading in Tenten’s direction. “Tenten, I do not know why you insist on being so mean to me all of the time! Besides, he asked me out!” Lee sighed dramatically and flopped into Tenten’s arms. She caught him with ease, seemingly used to such a display. She hauled him back onto his feet, patted his cheek, and pushed him to the side so that she could walk down the hall to where Gaara was still standing in the open door.

“Hi, Gaara. It’s great to meet you! I’m Tenten.” She stuck her hand out for Gaara to shake, squeezing his fingers aggressively. Gaara did his best to maintain a blank face, but winced slightly as she pulled him closer to her and smiled. 

“It’s nice to meet you, too. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Tenten shook his hand one more time for good measure and turned back around to where Lee was pouting slightly in the hallway. Gaara did his best to not shake out his hand. 

“Hopefully all good things?” she asked, leaning towards Lee as she walked by.

“Of course, Tenten! How could I ever say otherwise?” Lee spluttered.

Tenten laughed and smacked him on the arm. “Gaara would tell me the truth. Wouldn’t you?”

Gaara smiled lightly and nodded, following Tenten down the hall. As he walked by, Lee beamed at him, slipping his hand into Gaara’s. They walked into the kitchen together where Tenten stood in front of the stove, stirring some type of sauce. Gaara remembered the last time he was in this kitchen when Lee made him breakfast shirtless. His heart fluttered as he remembered how the muscles in his back dipped as they got to the waistband of his pajamas, right above his-

“I hope you’re hungry, Gaara!” Tenten said, snapping him out of his fantasy. “I’ve been cooking up a storm. I know this guy eats like a horse.” She gestured toward Lee with her wooden spoon. Lee walked over and poked her hair bun.

“So do you!”

They laughed together as a swift knock was heard at the door. Tenten gasped as her eyes lit up. She shoved the spoon at Lee, effectively getting sauce all over his shirt, then sped down the hall. Gaara located a washcloth from the sink and helped Lee clean the sauce off his shirt.

“Neji!” they heard Tenten yell from down the hall.

“Ten- oof!” It sounded to Gaara like rib-cracking hugs ran in the family. 

Gaara turned back to his task and finished wiping the sauce off of Lee’s shirt. He looked up at Lee and smiled. Lee returned the smile, his dimple catching Gaara’s attention as it always did. He put his hand on Lee’s face, gently brushing his thumb over the divot, and stood on his toes to gently kiss Lee on the cheek.

“Guys! Look who’s here!” Tenten sang, walking back up the hall. Gaara gave Lee’s cheek another quick peck, before stepping back just in time for Neji and Tenten to come back into the kitchen.

“Hey, Gaara. Lee,” Neji said, giving Lee a weird look as he noticed his red cheeks. Lee mumbled a hello and Gaara offered a polite wave.

“Neji, come cut this bread. Lee, you set the table. Gaara, toss this salad.” Tenten barked orders at the boys in such a way that they didn’t dare defy her. It made sense. In a community that was very heavily male dominated, Tenten had needed to know exactly what she wanted and not be afraid of shoving her way in. Even though Gaara had just barely met her, his heart swelled a little with pride. She was definitely Lee’s sister.

“Oh, I’m sure Gaara loves tossing salads,” Neji said under his breath. Gaara’s face turned bright red as Lee started coughing violently.

“NEJI! That was a completely inappropriate thing to say!” he cried, almost dropping plates in the process.

“Just saying,” Neji said in a sing-song voice. He was immediately slapped in the face by Tenten. Gaara did as she asked, trying to ignore Neji’s rather salacious comment.

Once everything was finished and set out on the table, they sat down to eat, Gaara and Lee on one side of the table, and Neji and Tenten on the other. Lee took the time to serve each person, which Gaara thought was incredibly sweet. Neji rolled his eyes slightly, but still muttered a thank you when Lee put the food on his plate. Tenten had dug in as soon as the noodles hit her plate, but Gaara waited until Lee was seated. They smiled at each other, then began to eat, their arms brushing together giving Gaara butterflies.

Tenten tilted her head back, chugging her water. As she slammed the cup back on the table and reached for the pitcher to get more, Gaara noticed a tattoo running on the length of her forearm. It seemed to be a triangular knife, one that had a hole in the handle. Behind the blade were what seemed to be poppies. 

“I like your tattoo, Tenten,” Gaara said, his eyes fixed on her arm.

“Oh, thank you! It’s a kunai. It’s supposed to be used as a multipurpose tool. I got it to remind myself to be successful and make a difference in multiple areas of my life,” she explained with a shrug, pouring more water into her glass. She took the time to fill all of the other glasses at the table before sitting back down.

“I have another tattoo running up the length of my back. It’s a rolled up scroll. I really like it, it’s really pretty. I would show you, but I like to keep some things to the imagination,” she said with a smirk. “Speaking of which… Did you know that Lee has a secret tattoo?”

Next to her, Neji snorted, sucking his half chewed food up through the back of his nose. He coughed, slapping the table as Tenten pounded on his back. After coughing for a few seconds, and chugging lots of water, he finally calmed down.

Lee, attempting to change the subject, began “Anyway-”

“Nope! Nice try. Gaara HAS to know about it! Unless he’s already seen it,” she interrupted cheekily.

“No, I… I haven’t seen anything!” Gaara stammered, holding his hands in front of him. Tenten laughed brightly.

“You have to hear the story! Lee, do you want to tell it, or shall I?”

Lee sat with his burning face in his hands. “I suppose I cannot stop you.”

“Nope!” Tenten said cheerfully. She turned to face Gaara, intently staring at him. “Lee has a dumbbell. Tattooed on his ass.”

Lee groaned next to Gaara. “What?” Gaara asked, glancing over at Lee.

“He has a dumbbell. Tattooed. On. His. Ass.”

“...but why?”

“Okay, so,” Tenten began, pushing her plate aside slightly. She talked very animatedly and didn’t want her dinner to get in the way of a fantastic retelling of Lee’s mistake. 

“Lee had just graduated. A few months later, he got a job as a social worker! It was awesome, I was so proud of him! To celebrate, I wanted to take him out to a bar. He hadn’t been before, in fact had never drank before, and I wanted him to loosen up a little, y’know? Have some fun!” 

“I do not like alcohol,” Lee said, speaking up next to Gaara. “It makes it harder to skate and stay in top condition!”

“Yeah, yeah, anyway,” Tenten said, waving her hand to dismiss Lee. “I took him to the bar and ordered a round of shots. One. Round. Next thing I know, this guy has slipped away from me doing who knows what. I figured he had finally loosened up enough and was trying to find a cutie or something. So then I get some more drinks, chat up the bartender for free booze and what not. Next thing I know, I’m totally hammered, Lee is beyond wasted, and he starts dragging me out of the bar and down the street, mumbling something about this really buff guy he saw with a bunch of ink on him.

“I tried to calm him down, but this guy is so out of this world when he’s drunk, it’s not even funny. He pulls me into a shady tattoo parlor and sits me down in a chair. At this point, I’m too out of it to even stand up, so I just… fall asleep! I wake up the next morning on Gai and Kakashi’s couch, with the worst hangover I’ve ever had, to the sound of Lee sobbing down the hall. It was making my headache worse, so I walked down the hall to chew him out. What I saw was Lee standing in the bathroom, one butt cheek completely bare, staring at it in the mirror while sobbing.”

Tenten began to laugh so hard that she couldn’t finish the story. Neji rolled his eyes, and finished it for her. “Turns out, he had gotten a dumbbell tattooed on his butt because the guy he had seen was telling him about his workout routine and his tattoos. Lee’s intoxicated brain mixed up the two, and decided that the best way for him to get stronger, would be to get a dumbbell inked on his derriere.” Neji finally broke and began to laugh with Tenten, his cool composure breaking at the thought.

“Immediately when I saw it, I threw up all over the bathroom which made Lee cry harder. I guess the sight of my brother’s ass cheek combined with the hangover was too much for my stomach.” Tenten wiped her eyes as she finished the story, breathing hard from the exertion of laughing so much. 

At that, Gaara began to join in on the laughter. The thought of his sweet Lee being so toasted that he got something tattooed on his butt was too much for him. He looked over at Lee whose face was turned down into a pout and reached over to grab his hand. Lee softened at that, cracking his signature smile and gave a few laughs with the others.

“I suppose it is kind of funny,” he said, turning back to his food.

“Only you would do that, Lee,” Tenten said, her eyes full of love and humor as she looked at her foster brother. They all turned back to their food, Gaara and Lee still holding hands as they ate. Neji looked at their hands and coughed slightly, to which Tenten responded by socking him in the arm.

Gaara decided that he really liked Tenten. 

Tenten turned back to Gaara as everyone settled down. “Do you have any tattoos, Gaara?”

Gaara took a sip of his water. “No. I think I’d like to get one, but I haven’t yet. The only person who would take me is my brother Kankuro, and he’s annoying.”

Neji snorted at that.

“I would take you to get a tattoo!” Lee said between bites of food. “I happen to have a very strong hand to hold,” he finished with a wink.

“Okay,” Gaara agreed, his cheeks reddening slightly. “I would like that.” Lee nodded at him and squeezed his hand gently.

“Wonderful! I will call my tattoo artist tomorrow to schedule an appointment.”

The rest of the meal was spent talking about Tenten’s recent travels, Neji’s skate shop, and different stories from when they were younger. Gaara told Tenten a little bit about his experience as a foster child, finding that they had a lot of similarities in the way they grew up.

“I’m really glad you had your siblings with you and that things worked out okay. It’s really sad when people tear siblings apart,” Tenten said, swirling her water around in her glass. “I don’t know what I would have done without Lee there with me.”

Gaara nodded. “I got very lucky. My siblings are some of the most important people in the world to me.” Gaara looked over at Lee who smiled at him gently. “Being a social worker has allowed me to meet even more important people.”

Lee squeezed Gaara’s hand, his wet eyes glowing as he looked at him.

“I’m really glad. I’ve considered doing social work, but I really enjoy what I’m doing now. I get to help out in Lee’s program and in Neji’s skate shop. It’s honestly perfect for me. Once my body is too haggard and old for me to skate competitively anymore, I’ll retire in my mansion, surrounded by chocolate fountains,” Tenten said, leaning her head on Neji.

Neji snorted at that. “And who is going to clean that big mansion of yours?”

“Oh, my butler of course. His name is Neji, have you met him?”

Tenten snort laughed as Neji shook his shoulder, bumping her head off. She stood and began gathering plates to take to the sink. Gaara helped her while Neji and Lee began to put away the food. Gaara and Tenten began to wash the dishes, listening to Neji and Lee chat in the background.

“You know, he really likes you,” Tenten said, handing Gaara a clean plate to dry.

“Really?”

“Mmhm!” She dunked another plate into the soapy water. “I haven’t seen him this starstruck before, even with his ex girlfriend who he had been obsessed with since he was younger. Every time we talk on the phone the main thing he wants to talk about is you. I’m really glad you found each other,” Tenten said, placing a soapy hand on Gaara’s shoulder. He wiped off the plate, smiling at her.

“Me too.”

Once everything had been cleaned up, they sat in the living room watching Tenten’s latest skating competition. Lee got really into it, moving his body with the curves of the path she was skating. At one point, he seemed to grow sad, deflating slightly as he thought to his past dreams. Everything Tenten had, he had wanted too. Noticing this, Gaara grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it. Lee looked over at him and smiled, leaning down to kiss the tip of his nose.

Once the video had ended and Lee and Tenten had discussed every detail energetically, with the occasional comment from Neji, Tenten stood up and stretched, her body popping as she moved. 

“Well, I’m exhausted. I think I’m going to spend the night at Neji’s, Lee, we have some catching up to do.”

“We do?” Neji asked, groaning as he stood from his place on the floor.

“Yup. My bag is in my room, you can put it in your car while I say goodbye.”

Neji sighed, but walked down the hall to do as she asked. 

“Bye, Lee. Bye, Gaara. It was nice meeting you.” She gave each of them a hug, pausing a moment to whisper into Gaara’s ear, “Hurt him and I hurt you.” Gaara audibly gulped and pulled back, nodding nervously. She walked down the hallway, following after Neji who had taken her bag out to his car, grumbling the entire way.

“Love you, Lee! You boys have a nice night.” Gaara couldn’t help but feel like there were some hidden implications in that suggestion.

“Well, it is just the two of us again! Do you want to go home or would you like to stay for a while?” Lee asked, looking over at Gaara hopefully.

“I would love to stay, if that’s alright with you.”

“Of course it is!” Lee said excitedly. “You can even stay the night if you wish! I know you have work in the morning so I will not pressure you, but I would love it if you stayed.”

Gaara tilted his head, thinking for a moment. “I should be able to manage that. Temari will be in the office, so I won’t have to cover her. Plus I got a lot of work done this weekend so I can afford to be late a few hours if needed.”

“Perfect!” Lee said excitedly, grabbing Gaara under his arms and swinging him around. “Let me go get you some comfy clothes and we can find something to do before bed!”

He set Gaara down and raced down the hall. He reappeared a few minutes later, the same green hoodie Gaara had worn before in hand.

“Does this look familiar?” he asked, holding it out for Gaara to take.

“Yes, I remember. Now that we’re together, I hope you know that you’re not getting this back.”

Lee paused, holding onto the hoodie as Gaara tried to grab it. “Together?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean together, together, just dating. We don’t even have to be dating I… sorry,” Gaara said hurriedly, letting go of the hoodie.

“Gaara, if you would like to be with me, I would want nothing more. I know that we have only been on one official date, but I really, really like you.”

“I would really like that,” Gaara whispered, his heart beating quickly.

“Me too.” Lee wrapped the green hoodie around Gaara’s back, pulling him in gently and kissing him. They stood in the living room for a few minutes, holding each other. Gaara reached up and gently kissed Lee’s jaw.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Lee asked as Gaara’s hair tickled his chin. 

“That sounds great.”

Lee pulled him back over to the couch. They sat down and scrolled through the available movies before finally settling on a cheesy romance flick picked by Lee. He laid his head on Gaara’s lap who began threading his fingers through his hair, leaning over every few minutes to place a kiss on his face. 

“Did you really mean it? Wanting to be with me?” he asked half way through the movie, looking up at Gaara hesitantly. “I do not want to rush you into anything. I tend to get too eager at times.”

“We can still go slow,” Gaara replied, looking into Lee’s eyes. “But I have no problem with being in a relationship with you.” 

Lee nodded, turning his head back towards the movie. “I will make sure to slow down. Please let me know if you need to take a step back.”

“And you do the same,” Gaara replied. 

Once the movie had finished, Lee sat up and pulled Gaara into his chest. 

“Shall we go to bed?” he murmured, his lips brushing the top of Gaara’s head. He nodded in response, tickling Lee’s nose with his hair.

“Tenten has been using her room, so I do not know that she would want you in there. But, I will set up a spot for you in my bed and I can sleep on the couch!”

“Or we could just share a bed?” Gaara offered, not wanting either of them to have to sleep on the couch. 

“O-oh! I suppose that would be alright,” Lee answered, his finger tucked under his chin as the tips of his ears turned bright red. “Although, I am a bit of a snorer.”

“That’s okay,” Gaara responded, laughing lightly. They made their way into Lee’s bedroom and quickly changed into their pajamas. Once ready, Lee slipped under his covers and patted the space next to him. Gaara crawled under, his heart beating at the prospect of sleeping next to Lee. Once they were settled, Gaara scooted closer to Lee, wrapping his arm over his back and lightly laying his leg over Lee’s. 

“Is this okay?” he whispered, not wanting to make Lee uncomfortable. 

“Yes, this is more than fine.” Lee adjusted slightly. “Is this okay for you?”

“Yeah.”

They both sighed contentedly and drifted off to sleep, the sound of each other’s breathing calming their hearts and minds.

Gaara fell asleep with a smile on his face. His heart was finally home.


	12. Tattoo Parlor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lee goes with Gaara to get his first tattoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't meant to tell much, it's more of a wrap up thing that I wanted to include. Thanks for reading this fic, hope you enjoyed.

Weeks passed quickly after Gaara had made things official with Lee. They kept their promise to take things slow, but even still, Gaara found himself feeling more whole, happy to finally have someone to share his life with, someone who had similar interests and motivations. Lee would never be able to fully understand him and he would never fully understand Lee, but they both promised each other that they would do their best to uphold and cherish their relationship. 

Lee came over to Gaara’s house one weekend to watch another movie. Gaara lay on the couch snuggled up next to Lee. Halfway through the movie, Lee fell asleep and snored so loudly that Gaara had to turn on the subtitles. His heart clenched in his chest. He was so in love with Lee. He filled his life in small ways, making up for a lack that he hadn’t realized was there in the first place. A good morning text helped him to feel remembered. Dinner on a stressful work day helped him feel taken care of. And knowing that the world’s kindest and most loving man had chosen him to love made him feel like the luckiest person to have ever existed.

The day after Gaara met Tenten, Lee called his tattoo artist and scheduled an appointment for Gaara to get his first tattoo. He had briefly thought of it before, but it took awhile for him to really decide on what he wanted. It didn’t help that Lee, in his excitement, gave Gaara hundreds of suggestions. He meant well, but it only made things more confusing for Gaara.

Eventually, he decided on a minimalistic tiger tattoo. He wanted it to represent how he had turned his anger and trauma from his childhood into power and strength as an adult. He also just thought tigers were really cool. 

Finally, the day came for Gaara to get his tattoo. Lee showed up to his house bright and early wanting to take Gaara to breakfast first. He also insisted on paying for it, which Gaara had been fighting about for weeks.

“Good morning, Lee. How are you?”

“I am so very, very excited! Are you ready for today? Remember, the ink is on me! Both literally and figuratively,” he said with a laugh, holding his tatted arm out in demonstration. 

“Lee, you really don’t have to pay for it. I have money saved up. You need to spend your money on yourself.”

“Gaara, it is my money and I want to pay for your first tattoo! Besides, I am going to get one as well! My artist is giving me a discount on them.”

“Alright, Lee. But I pay for the next ones.” Lee laughed in response, picking up their conjoined hands to kiss the back of Gaara’s. They continued driving, enjoying the simplicity of their time together and the sunny day outside. After ordering their food, they took it out onto the patio, wanting to take advantage of the warmth.

“So, are you excited?” Lee asked, after downing half a glass of orange juice. Gaara picked up a piece of fruit, popping it into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

“I suppose so. I’m not really sure what to expect. For all I know, it could go terribly wrong.”

“Gaara!” Lee said, his volume slightly raised. “I would never allow you to be put in any situation where harm could be done! You know that.”

Gaara smiled at him. “I know, Lee. But even you can’t prevent every bad thing from happening.”

Lee pouted, placing his cheek onto his hand and dimpling his face. “Maybe so, but I would not put you into harm's way on purpose.”

“I know.”

Gaara continued to eat, some anxiety pricking his stomach. He wasn’t particularly nervous, he not being one to shy away from pain, but he did have some apprehension about having something permanently etched onto his body. He reasoned that he had been thinking about it for a long time which meant he wouldn’t change his mind anytime soon. Besides, he was young and hadn’t really had the opportunity to act like it before now. What was one stupid tattoo? Though nothing could compare to getting a dumbbell permanently stamped onto your butt…

Gaara reminded Lee exactly of that fact as they sat down to wait for their appointment. He scolded Gaara which made him laugh. Lee couldn’t stay mad for long. He quickly dissolved into giggles, kissing Gaara on the forehead. 

“Did you decide where to get the tattoo, love?” Lee asked, leaning his head onto Gaara’s shoulder. Lee had recently picked up calling Gaara pet names which made his heart flutter each time he used them.

“I think my shoulder blade will be the best bet,” he replied, looking around at the lobby of the tattoo shop. Different designs hung on the black walls and paper cranes hung down from the ceiling. According to Lee, his tattoo artist made them all herself. It was a very impressive sight. Gaara was relieved to see that everything was clean and sterile. He knew Lee wouldn’t go to just any tattoo shop, well, besides that one night, but it was still a relief to see it in person.

“That sounds wonderful!” Lee said, sitting up to stare at Gaara. He placed a small kiss to his shoulder blade, right where his tiger would be going. “It is going to look so beautiful. Though, anything on you would look beautiful.”

Gaara smiled and muttered a thank you just as a purple haired woman walked up to them. She was covered in tattoos and piercings. She definitely looked like she knew her stuff.

“Hey, Lee,” she said, waving a heavily inked hand in their direction. “Are you guys ready to get started? I have your designs ready. I’m having one of my assistants help out so you can do them at the same time, if that’s okay.”

“Hello, Konan! Yes, that sounds wonderful! It is Gaara’s first time and he is a bit nervous!”

“No I’m not,” Gaara muttered, standing next to Lee. 

“Don’t worry kid,” she replied, laughing airily. “I’ll be working on your design today. I have quite the skilled hand, if I do say so myself.” She gestured to the many intricate cranes hanging from the ceiling. “Come on back, guys. Let’s get to work.”

They followed her into a back room, the smell of alcohol filling their noses. Buzzing could be heard in one of the side rooms, followed by a, “OW! Watch where ya put the needle. It hurts, ya know?” Gaara stifled a laugh. She led them into one of the farthest rooms from the front where two chairs sat. A man with neon orange hair, and more piercings than Konan, sat with gloves on, preparing the tattoo needle as well as a few pots of black ink.

“This is Yahiko. Lee, he’ll be doing your tattoo. I know you wanted to keep it a secret, so come over here and I’ll have you approve the design before we lay it down.”

Had Gaara not been so nervous, he would have questioned why Lee was keeping things so secretive. Instead, he stared down at the small paper on the table next to what he presumed to be his seat. There sat his tiger, all set up on the stencil paper ready to be applied to his skin. He took in a deep breath. If Lee could do this multiple times all over his body, Gaara could get one tattoo on his shoulder blade. Besides, pain didn’t last forever, right?

“I love it!” Lee yelled, earning a disapproving, but teasing, glance from Konan. She applied the stencil to the back of his arm carefully, peeling it off and checking to make sure it was even. She then led Lee to the other chair, being careful to shield his design from Gaara’s view. He sat down, his tattooed arm furthest away from Gaara.

“Alright, let’s get started,” Konan said, snapping on a fresh pair of medical gloves. She instructed Gaara to take off his shirt, which he did. The cold air prickled his skin as Konan began sterilizing the area where his tattoo was going to go. She led him over to a mirror, showing him the placement and the design. 

“It’s perfect,” Gaara said, twisting his body to look at the tiger. “What do you think, Lee?”

“I think it looks fantastic!”

“Well, boyfriend approval has been received. Let’s get to work.” Konan gestured back toward the chair. Gaara laid down on his stomach as Konan rolled up beside him. Her machine buzzed as she began drawing ink into the needle. Lee reached over and held Gaara’s hand. His tattoo had already been started, the only clue being the buzzing from Yahiko’s needle. Otherwise, Lee was his usual chipper self.

They sat that way as they both got their designs permanently stamped into their skin. Gaara winced as Konan being working near the thin skin on his shoulder blade. In response, Lee squeezed his fingers tightly.

“Lee, you’re going to break my hand,” Gaara said with a grimace.

“Oh, I am so sorry!” he replied, loosening his grip on Gaara’s hand. He paused, staring at Gaara’s arm thoughtfully. “We should arm wrestle sometime!”

Gaara laughed lightly, doing his best to not move too much and ruin Konan’s handiwork. “I don’t think it would really be a wrestle, Lee. You would win in three seconds.”

“You need to have more faith in yourself, Gaara!”

They sat in silence as the buzz of the machines continued. Yahiko added a few more lines onto Lee’s tattoo, then wiped it thoroughly. 

“You’re all done.”

Lee looked down at his arm and gave a light gasp. “It is perfect! Thank you so much!”

Lee slid off his chair and made his way over to Gaara, bending down to show Gaara his freshly done tattoo. A small cactus with a heart on the pot sat surrounded by bright red skin. “It’s a succulent! To remind me of you! And to remind me that we can continue growing despite how terrible our circumstances may seem!”

The combination of the needle on Gaara’s back and Lee’s sweet gesture caused him to tear up. “I love it, Lee. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

Lee laughed brightly, displaying the dimple Gaara had come to love so much. He leaned down to carefully press his lips to Gaara’s reclaiming his hand as Konan continued to work on his back. After a few more painful minutes, Konan cleaned Gaara’s back off and shut off her machine. “Alright, go check it out.” 

Lee looked at Gaara’s freshly done tattoo and gasped. Tears began to build in the corner of his eyes. “Gaara, it’s wonderful,” he whispered.

Gaara walked over to the mirror, gently twisting his still sore back to look at his new tattoo. There it sat on his pale skin, the gentle curves and dips of the tiger’s head flowing beautifully on the somewhat jagged piece of skin. He knew that it would get even better as it healed, settling into his body like it had always been there. Lee came up behind him and placed a kiss on his neck.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it,” he said, continuing to twist and admire the piece of art that now decorated his body. “Thank you, Lee. Konan, this is amazing. Thank you so much.”

“No problem,” she said, smiling at him in the mirror. “Not too bad, I’d say.”

After they had finished admiring their tattoos in the mirror, the two artists finished cleaning their skin and wrapping it, ensuring it would be protected as they ventured home. After Lee profusely thanked the two, and heavily tipped them for their work, they made their way out to the car. Lee began to excessively explain to Gaara how to take care of his tattoo, even going so far as to explain what would happen if he did something wrong, detailing every disgusting part.

“Actually, it would probably be best if I just come over every night for a while to show you what you need to do,” Lee said, holding Gaara’s car door open for him. “Ooh, then we could take care of our tattoos together! That is so romantic!”

Gaara wasn’t sure how cleaning potentially infectious skin was romantic, but what he was sure of, was that Lee was the most fantastic man in the world. He wasn’t sure that he deserved him, or even that it would last. But, what he did know, was that Lee brought to him a sense of fulfillment, one that his heart had been seeking without him even knowing it. He loved his career and he loved his siblings, but Lee was an addition to Gaara’s life that he didn’t know how he lived without before. His optimism, unconditional love, and gentle kindness filled his heart in a way he didn’t understand. The darkness of his past never fully went away, but Lee was the bright light at the end of the tunnel, something for Gaara to run towards when the darkness was closing in. Sometimes it was harder to see the light than others, but it was always there. And Lee was good at brightening that light when Gaara needed it more.

Lee, too, found fulfillment in Gaara’s love. His devotion to the kids they worked with and his willingness to try new things was refreshing to Lee. Each time he was with Gaara, he felt warm inside. The cold of his past relationship couldn’t touch him anymore. He still struggled to feel worthy of Gaara’s love, or anyone’s love for that matter, but he was grateful that Gaara so willingly gave it to him.

For the first time in a long time, Lee felt fulfilled in all areas of his life. He was actively seeking improvement and happiness in more ways than just one. For once in their lives, Lee and Gaara felt like they were doing more than just skating by.


End file.
